The Unreal Estate Game: Alabama
 

We'll see if people are interested in this or not. I think it could be fun.

Assume that you idly buy a state lottery ticket while getting a doughnut at 7/11, and voila! You're a winner! You win your choice of one the five houses that will be shown.

I'll give you five houses in a state, and you vote on the house you would take.

Background rules:

Assume that your job situation won't need to change - you can find an identical job or work from home or whatever, so jobs don't matter.

The house and all taxes (one-time and ongoing) are paid for.

Consider the house itself and the location and anything else that's important to you (schools, restaurants, lot size, etc.). Feel free to do a google map search to check out the neighborhood and the area.

You cannot sell the home, and you're required to live in the home for the rest of your life.

All houses will be in the $900,000 to $1 million price range.

If you wouldn't move into any of these homes, you can instead accept a cash prize of $50,000 (tax free).

We'll start with Alabama. Here are your five houses:

Abbeville (I accidentally called this Anniston in the poll. Forgive me.) http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...0_M77806-66350

Gulf Shores http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...2_M70246-61101

Huntsville http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...8-57762#photo0

Talladega http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...0_M87710-07732

Theodore http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...-1000000/sby-2

None.

Huntsville has NASA and a lot of smart people.

After much debate, my rankings are:

#1 - Gulf Shores - Nice style in a good location. I don't need ocean views, but they're nice.

#2 - Theodore - I can't figure out how this place has a 13-car garage. I like the interior style and the indoor pool, though I've heard that indoor pools can smell up a house. I can't decide if I like the front of the house with those garages or not, which knocked it out of the #1 spot.

#3 - Talledega - The back of the house is really cool, and the river is a nice view. The front of the house isn't very appealing, and the house style doesn't work overall other than the rear.

#4 - Huntsville - The forest views are very nice, and it's a nice location in a city that's close to services. But overall, it's just a big suburban house.

#5 - Abbeville - 125 acres seems neat, but I don't know what I'd do with 125 acres, and the house doesn't wow me.

I've heard that Huntsville has a fair amount of culture because the captured German rocket scientists wanted it.

Spent a year and a half in Alabama. Won't go back if I can avoid it.

ROFL

That's what I picked - 'up and coming' city

Wherever is closer to FMB so he can cook me weekly meals.

I went with Abbeville because of the land. I don't want any neighbors too close and it could also be a cash maker by selling some plots on the outskirts of the property.

Abbeville

Give me the 125 acres..I can rent some of the land out and then still build trails to ride my 4 wheeler around drinking beer all day in my sweet overalls with one strap undone

And people will stay the **** away from me too

Where at?

Out of those options, I'll take the Huntsville home.

Rucker.

That's what I assumed. I thought I remembered you were army. My second time at Rucker, I got detached to Troy to work on the airport up there. That wasn't a bad gig. 23 years old surrounded by tons of pretty college girls. I'll always have fond memories of Alabama because of it.