Meridian Housing
I’m just going to attempt to consolidate all the info out there about housing in Meridian. If it seems worthy, sticky this sucker so it doesn’t get lost in the mix.
Housing Options
1.) Base Housing
2.) Apartment
3.) Private House *best option
4.) Downtown Lofts
5.) Dalewood Shore Lake
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Base Housing
Base housing has been recently opened to single persons without dependants. Up until a few months ago, it was only open to members with dependants. Contact the family housing office on base.
• Pros:
o You live on base, hence removing the daily drive, which averages from about 15 minutes to 30 minutes (depending on how far you live and whether open highway means ridiculous speeding to you).
o Fairly inexpensive. For a three bedroom, two bath and usual utilities included (power, water), you pay $1076/month. You need at least two people to sign a lease though, I believe.
• Cons:
o You live on base. The people you see everyday will live next to you. Military 24/7. That’s a personal choice, I like to get away a bit each day.
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Apartments
There are many apartment complexes around, but as you may have read or heard, only two are worth looking into. I must say I didn’t look at any other complexes so it’s possible there’s a hidden gem out there… but I doubt it and don’t know anyone living in apartments other than The Woodlands and Northwood Place.
• Pros:
o Fairly close to base, only about 15-20 minutes.
o Up near the nicer part of Meridian and near several supermarkets and North Hills Street, which has a bunch of fast food, some sit-down restaurants, a blockbuster, etc. Basically one of two commercial areas you’ll want to visit in Meridian.
• Cons:
o I think it’s a tremendous rip-off. These are very basic one, two and three bedroom apartments, a bit on the small side. Very plainly decorated, and mundane (i.e. flat white walls, economy bland carpeting, etc). They run about $689-889 or $530-720 for The Woodlands and Northwoods Place, respectively.
o They hit you up for stupid fees, such as redecorating fee. This is a one-time charge of about $100 for no good reason other than to squeeze more cash out of you. There is also a security deposit.
o No covered parking whatsoever
Specific Info
The Woodlands
4501 Highway 39 N
Meridian, MS 39301
(601) 485-919
http://www.heritageproperties.com
Northwood Place Apartments
4315 Highway 39 N
Meridian, MS 39301
601-693-0600
No website available
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Private House
I would highly recommend, as would most people, in getting some other guys together, pooling your BAH and renting a house. There are several ways to find a house.
1. Go to the Family Housing Office. You have to anyways for check-in. Simply tell them what you are looking for, and they woman will print you out a list of places that fit the bill (i.e. I am looking for between a two to four bedroom house for no more than $2000, I am looking for a duplex, I want a cardboard box with smelly cats), including what sort of amenities the house has (washer/dryer or hook-ups only, central heat, hardwood floors, yes for pets, etc).
2. http://www.militarybyowner.com
3. Craigslist is virtually worthless in Meridian… so don’t get your hopes up.
4. Drive around the area you want to live in and look for “For Sale” or “For Rent” signs. Sometimes, houses up for sale can be rented
5. Go to the squadron and ask around. Quite a few IPs have houses they are looking to rent out. Check the boards in the ready rooms, etc.
• Pros:
o Better bang for your buck. For example, a three-bed, two-bath will usually go for about $900-1200. Split it two ways and you spend much less, get to pocket some BAH and instead of coming home to a pedestrian apartment or the sterile environment of base housing, you have a freakin’ house.
o Wider assortment of pickings. You can get bare-bones houses built fifty years ago to houses built in the last few years with hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
• Cons:
o You need to be careful when looking at houses in Meridian. It’s pretty easy to spot old, run-down houses that have had a sloppy refinish
o Houses won’t always come with washers, dryers, microwaves, fridges, etc. So you need to take the purchase of those into account when deciding how much you want to spend.
o Utilities aren’t usually included like base housing.
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Downtown Lofts
These fall into a separate category by themselves. Not houses, not apartments. These are in downtown Meridian. Meridian was at one time a booming town due to the rain industry with a thriving downtown and it shows. There is some very nice architecture and storefronts. However, the boom went away and it also shows. Downtown is pretty rundown, but they are attempting to revive it. Many of the buildings have been renovated, repainted and remodeled to resemble what they once were.
• Pros
o You get a lot for your money. They run from $650-$850.
o High ceilings, hardwood floors, fridge, microwave, washer/dryer (for $50/month) included
o I believe when I looked at them, Vallory (the landlord/manager) told me a) there were several young ladies living there and b) if you can get a few people together to rent a few lofts, she would adjust the price by about $100.
• Cons
o Street parking. I was worried about this, but I asked around and was consistently told that there isn’t much crime around, no cars had been broken into and there is a police station within a few blocks, so cops are always cruising around.
o Farthest from base you can get in general. Probably about a 30-40 minute drive. Not sure though.
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Dalewood Shore Lake
There is a lake directly southeast of NAS Meridian called Dalewood Shore Lake. Usually it’s referred to as simply Dalewood, do not confuse it will Daleville. Daleville is a small city west of the base. You don’t want to live there. Many people like Dalewood because… wait for it… there’s a lake. Which means boating and all that crap. I don’t have a boat. So I didn’t give a crap. There’s quite a few houses available here. I would divide Dalewood into two areas. The northeast shore and the rest of it. The northeast shore has some nice, large houses on larger, rolling plots of land. The rest of the lake is pretty much a wooded trailer park. Are you familiar with the term Whiskey Tango? Ok, I was trying to be discrete and polite but I mean white trash. Sorry. Get over it.
• Pros
o You can find some sweet houses here. Larger and a pretty area.
o There’s a lake. If you have a boat I’ve heard it’s awesome in the summertime.
o I heard this place was far from the base. I made it there in about 15 mins.
• Cons
o There’s nothing around. You have to drive 30 minutes or more to find civilization or Best Buy.
o The trashy part of the lake.
o There are lake dues or something to that extent tacked onto your rent, $50 A PERSON.
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Other Info
Realtors
Realtors are pretty worthless around here. They don’t get much in the way of commissions for finding tenants to rent houses. However, here are several you may try. Be persistent. You may need to call them repeatedly to get someone to actually look for you, but keep trying. Tricia Collier from Wilson Realty (I think) met me at several houses and showed them to me. Ask if a realtor can find you a few houses that fit the bill and meet you at them or drive you to them. Here are some to try:
• Winstead Realty Co - www.winsteadrealty.com - (601) 483-4563
• Wilson Realty - www.wilsonrealtyms.com - (601) 483-3384
• Pigford & Corey Realtors - www.pigfordandcorey.com - (601) 482-8515
Areas of Interest
I would divide Meridian into six main areas of interest:
• NAS Meridian
o Obviously the base. It is located about 20-35 minutes northwest from Meridian, up off Highway 39, depending on where you are exactly.
• North Hills/Poplar Springs
o This is the name of the region roughly the northern quarter of Meridian. This is where you want to live if you want a house. Nicer area, actually has some very large and nice houses, albeit older. Picture mid-sized houses on an acre of land, with large trees and slightly rolling hills. It is almost midway between base and Bonita Lakes Mall. Good place to be. It takes me 20 minutes to get from my front door to the squadron. Perhaps I speed a bit.
o If you go on Google Maps, type in Meridian, Misssippi, select the Map feature and look for the Northwood Country Club. That gives you an idea where this is. Or use this link: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
• Briarwood/Eagle Pointe
o This is a newer neighborhood up on Highway 39, north of the North Hills region, about 15 minutes from base. Very nice, new houses, well-equipped. For some reason, there is an abnormally large population of doctors and lawyers in Meridian and this is where they live apparently. Expect to pay more for these houses and they will be larger, generally at least four bedrooms if not five. Most of the houses in these two neighborhoods are for sale, but every now and then people seem to get lucky and find one for rent.
o Go on Google Maps and look for the Briarwood Country Club.
• Downtown
o Not much down here except the lofts. If you want to see some seedy areas for reference, drive around the are just north of downtown. Or don’t. I say don’t.
• Bonita Lakes Mall
o This is near the intersection of I-20/I-59 and Highway 39. You should see it on the way in.
o Movie theater, Best Buy, Sears, BB&B, Outback, Sake Sushi (pretty decent actually), etc. This is where you’ll be if you aren’t home or on base. Sorry.
• North Hills Street
o This street intersections Highway 39 and runs into North Hills (surprise!). If you are going north on 39 and turn left and head west on North Hills, eventually you’ll hit a strip where there is a bunch of fast food, a Blockbuster and some other random shops you may want to visit. Explore it a bit. You’ll probably have a wait when you get here and will have nothing better to do. Nothing. Better. To. Do
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Specific Houses for Rent
These houses may or may not still be up for rent. Just passing the info on.
1.) Dalewood Shore Lake House
• http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9138-Mae-Crooker-Cir-Lauderdale-MS-39335/2144396240_zpid
• LCDR "Fudd" Osborne
• 601-513-1355
• Should be available mid-December
2.) North Hills House #1
• There is a house on 52nd street that is up for rent. I don’t have a phone number or specific address, but there is an email. The contacts are Ashley and Brennon Smith. Very nice people, did a terrific job flipping this house. Probably the best looking house I’ve seen in Meridian.
• brennonsmith@gmail.com
3.) North Hills House #2
• This house was up for rent by Squid
• 3025 10th Ave
• Three-bed, two bath
• Search keywords “Meridian 1750”
That's it. Check the attached maps for reference. I've also attached a Word document with all this info. Welcome to Meridian. We have trees and seasons here unlike Kingsville and Corpus.
I’m just going to attempt to consolidate all the info out there about housing in Meridian. If it seems worthy, sticky this sucker so it doesn’t get lost in the mix.
Housing Options
1.) Base Housing
2.) Apartment
3.) Private House *best option
4.) Downtown Lofts
5.) Dalewood Shore Lake
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Housing
Base housing has been recently opened to single persons without dependants. Up until a few months ago, it was only open to members with dependants. Contact the family housing office on base.
• Pros:
o You live on base, hence removing the daily drive, which averages from about 15 minutes to 30 minutes (depending on how far you live and whether open highway means ridiculous speeding to you).
o Fairly inexpensive. For a three bedroom, two bath and usual utilities included (power, water), you pay $1076/month. You need at least two people to sign a lease though, I believe.
• Cons:
o You live on base. The people you see everyday will live next to you. Military 24/7. That’s a personal choice, I like to get away a bit each day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apartments
There are many apartment complexes around, but as you may have read or heard, only two are worth looking into. I must say I didn’t look at any other complexes so it’s possible there’s a hidden gem out there… but I doubt it and don’t know anyone living in apartments other than The Woodlands and Northwood Place.
• Pros:
o Fairly close to base, only about 15-20 minutes.
o Up near the nicer part of Meridian and near several supermarkets and North Hills Street, which has a bunch of fast food, some sit-down restaurants, a blockbuster, etc. Basically one of two commercial areas you’ll want to visit in Meridian.
• Cons:
o I think it’s a tremendous rip-off. These are very basic one, two and three bedroom apartments, a bit on the small side. Very plainly decorated, and mundane (i.e. flat white walls, economy bland carpeting, etc). They run about $689-889 or $530-720 for The Woodlands and Northwoods Place, respectively.
o They hit you up for stupid fees, such as redecorating fee. This is a one-time charge of about $100 for no good reason other than to squeeze more cash out of you. There is also a security deposit.
o No covered parking whatsoever
Specific Info
The Woodlands
4501 Highway 39 N
Meridian, MS 39301
(601) 485-919
http://www.heritageproperties.com
Northwood Place Apartments
4315 Highway 39 N
Meridian, MS 39301
601-693-0600
No website available
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private House
I would highly recommend, as would most people, in getting some other guys together, pooling your BAH and renting a house. There are several ways to find a house.
1. Go to the Family Housing Office. You have to anyways for check-in. Simply tell them what you are looking for, and they woman will print you out a list of places that fit the bill (i.e. I am looking for between a two to four bedroom house for no more than $2000, I am looking for a duplex, I want a cardboard box with smelly cats), including what sort of amenities the house has (washer/dryer or hook-ups only, central heat, hardwood floors, yes for pets, etc).
2. http://www.militarybyowner.com
3. Craigslist is virtually worthless in Meridian… so don’t get your hopes up.
4. Drive around the area you want to live in and look for “For Sale” or “For Rent” signs. Sometimes, houses up for sale can be rented
5. Go to the squadron and ask around. Quite a few IPs have houses they are looking to rent out. Check the boards in the ready rooms, etc.
• Pros:
o Better bang for your buck. For example, a three-bed, two-bath will usually go for about $900-1200. Split it two ways and you spend much less, get to pocket some BAH and instead of coming home to a pedestrian apartment or the sterile environment of base housing, you have a freakin’ house.
o Wider assortment of pickings. You can get bare-bones houses built fifty years ago to houses built in the last few years with hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
• Cons:
o You need to be careful when looking at houses in Meridian. It’s pretty easy to spot old, run-down houses that have had a sloppy refinish
o Houses won’t always come with washers, dryers, microwaves, fridges, etc. So you need to take the purchase of those into account when deciding how much you want to spend.
o Utilities aren’t usually included like base housing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Downtown Lofts
These fall into a separate category by themselves. Not houses, not apartments. These are in downtown Meridian. Meridian was at one time a booming town due to the rain industry with a thriving downtown and it shows. There is some very nice architecture and storefronts. However, the boom went away and it also shows. Downtown is pretty rundown, but they are attempting to revive it. Many of the buildings have been renovated, repainted and remodeled to resemble what they once were.
• Pros
o You get a lot for your money. They run from $650-$850.
o High ceilings, hardwood floors, fridge, microwave, washer/dryer (for $50/month) included
o I believe when I looked at them, Vallory (the landlord/manager) told me a) there were several young ladies living there and b) if you can get a few people together to rent a few lofts, she would adjust the price by about $100.
• Cons
o Street parking. I was worried about this, but I asked around and was consistently told that there isn’t much crime around, no cars had been broken into and there is a police station within a few blocks, so cops are always cruising around.
o Farthest from base you can get in general. Probably about a 30-40 minute drive. Not sure though.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dalewood Shore Lake
There is a lake directly southeast of NAS Meridian called Dalewood Shore Lake. Usually it’s referred to as simply Dalewood, do not confuse it will Daleville. Daleville is a small city west of the base. You don’t want to live there. Many people like Dalewood because… wait for it… there’s a lake. Which means boating and all that crap. I don’t have a boat. So I didn’t give a crap. There’s quite a few houses available here. I would divide Dalewood into two areas. The northeast shore and the rest of it. The northeast shore has some nice, large houses on larger, rolling plots of land. The rest of the lake is pretty much a wooded trailer park. Are you familiar with the term Whiskey Tango? Ok, I was trying to be discrete and polite but I mean white trash. Sorry. Get over it.
• Pros
o You can find some sweet houses here. Larger and a pretty area.
o There’s a lake. If you have a boat I’ve heard it’s awesome in the summertime.
o I heard this place was far from the base. I made it there in about 15 mins.
• Cons
o There’s nothing around. You have to drive 30 minutes or more to find civilization or Best Buy.
o The trashy part of the lake.
o There are lake dues or something to that extent tacked onto your rent, $50 A PERSON.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Info
Realtors
Realtors are pretty worthless around here. They don’t get much in the way of commissions for finding tenants to rent houses. However, here are several you may try. Be persistent. You may need to call them repeatedly to get someone to actually look for you, but keep trying. Tricia Collier from Wilson Realty (I think) met me at several houses and showed them to me. Ask if a realtor can find you a few houses that fit the bill and meet you at them or drive you to them. Here are some to try:
• Winstead Realty Co - www.winsteadrealty.com - (601) 483-4563
• Wilson Realty - www.wilsonrealtyms.com - (601) 483-3384
• Pigford & Corey Realtors - www.pigfordandcorey.com - (601) 482-8515
Areas of Interest
I would divide Meridian into six main areas of interest:
• NAS Meridian
o Obviously the base. It is located about 20-35 minutes northwest from Meridian, up off Highway 39, depending on where you are exactly.
• North Hills/Poplar Springs
o This is the name of the region roughly the northern quarter of Meridian. This is where you want to live if you want a house. Nicer area, actually has some very large and nice houses, albeit older. Picture mid-sized houses on an acre of land, with large trees and slightly rolling hills. It is almost midway between base and Bonita Lakes Mall. Good place to be. It takes me 20 minutes to get from my front door to the squadron. Perhaps I speed a bit.
o If you go on Google Maps, type in Meridian, Misssippi, select the Map feature and look for the Northwood Country Club. That gives you an idea where this is. Or use this link: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
• Briarwood/Eagle Pointe
o This is a newer neighborhood up on Highway 39, north of the North Hills region, about 15 minutes from base. Very nice, new houses, well-equipped. For some reason, there is an abnormally large population of doctors and lawyers in Meridian and this is where they live apparently. Expect to pay more for these houses and they will be larger, generally at least four bedrooms if not five. Most of the houses in these two neighborhoods are for sale, but every now and then people seem to get lucky and find one for rent.
o Go on Google Maps and look for the Briarwood Country Club.
• Downtown
o Not much down here except the lofts. If you want to see some seedy areas for reference, drive around the are just north of downtown. Or don’t. I say don’t.
• Bonita Lakes Mall
o This is near the intersection of I-20/I-59 and Highway 39. You should see it on the way in.
o Movie theater, Best Buy, Sears, BB&B, Outback, Sake Sushi (pretty decent actually), etc. This is where you’ll be if you aren’t home or on base. Sorry.
• North Hills Street
o This street intersections Highway 39 and runs into North Hills (surprise!). If you are going north on 39 and turn left and head west on North Hills, eventually you’ll hit a strip where there is a bunch of fast food, a Blockbuster and some other random shops you may want to visit. Explore it a bit. You’ll probably have a wait when you get here and will have nothing better to do. Nothing. Better. To. Do
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specific Houses for Rent
These houses may or may not still be up for rent. Just passing the info on.
1.) Dalewood Shore Lake House
• http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/9138-Mae-Crooker-Cir-Lauderdale-MS-39335/2144396240_zpid
• LCDR "Fudd" Osborne
• 601-513-1355
• Should be available mid-December
2.) North Hills House #1
• There is a house on 52nd street that is up for rent. I don’t have a phone number or specific address, but there is an email. The contacts are Ashley and Brennon Smith. Very nice people, did a terrific job flipping this house. Probably the best looking house I’ve seen in Meridian.
• brennonsmith@gmail.com
3.) North Hills House #2
• This house was up for rent by Squid
• 3025 10th Ave
• Three-bed, two bath
• Search keywords “Meridian 1750”
That's it. Check the attached maps for reference. I've also attached a Word document with all this info. Welcome to Meridian. We have trees and seasons here unlike Kingsville and Corpus.
