2017-18 Houston County, AL Relocation and Resource Guide

Houston
County Alabama

2017-2018 Resource & Relocation Guide



Table Of Contents

4-5 Newcomer Information
7 Health & Hospitals
8 Help Hotlines
9 Local Education
11 Things To Do
12 State Information
13 County History
14-15 Houston County Map
16-17 Dothan City Map
18 Home Buyer Information
21 Buyer Mistakes
23 How Much Can You Afford
25 Tips to Selling Your Home
26 Packing Tips
27 Moving Checklist
28 Homefinder Notepad

Skyline Publishing | Project Coordinator: Wes Robinson
Ad & Book Designer: Linda Swindler

1

2

3

Alabama State Flower ~ Camellia

Newcomer

Post Offices

US Post Office US Post Office US Post Office
379 N. Oates St. 603 N. Broadway St. 175 Kirkland St.
Dothan, AL Ashford, AL Webb, AL
(334) 794-8567 (334) 899-3682 (334) 792-7462

US Post Office US Post Office US Post Office
3741 Ross Clark Cir. 53 Joe Cook St. 2935 Jordon Ave.
Dothan, AL Cottonwood, AL Cowarts, AL
(334) 793-9807 (334) 691-2669 (334) 794-1153

Courthouse

Houston County Courthouse
462 N. Oates St.
Dothan, AL
(334) 677-4719

Utilities Houston Co. Water Authority Verizon Wireless
(334) 702-0188 (334) 677-2355
Dothan Electric Division
(334) 615-3302 Ashford Water Dept. Sprint
(334) 899-3366 (334) 699-4050
Wiregrass Electric Co-Op.
(334) 712-0714 Headland Water Dept. CenturyLink
(334) 693-3363 (334) 217-9860

4

Information

Houston County Sheriff’s Department

144 N. Oates St. | Dothan, AL | (334) 677-4882
Police Fire

Dothan Police Department Dothan Fire Department Rehobeth Fire
210 N. Saint Andrews St. 1751 Ross Clark Cir. & Rescue
Dothan, AL Dothan, AL 235 Malvern Rd.
(334) 615-4630 (334) 615-3540 Rehobeth, AL
(334) 702-8832
Kinsey Police Department Dothan Fire Department
6947 Walden Dr. 600 Columbia Hwy. Cottonwood Fire
Kinsey, AL Dothan, AL Department
(334) 793-5409 (334) 615-3500 1336 Metcalf St. # 1
Cottonwood, AL
Gordon Police Department Bay Springs Fire (334) 691-3111
692 Tifton Rd. Department
Gordon, AL 1500 S. Bay Springs Rd. Lovetown Fire
(334) 522-1305 Dothan, AL Department
(334) 692-5340 80 Hilltop Rd.
Cottonwood, AL
Pansey Volunteer Fire (334) 691-1111
Department
292 Dixon Rd.
Pansey, AL
(334) 899-5333

5

6

Health & Hospitals

Houston County
Health Department
1781 E. Cottonwood Rd.

Dothan, AL
(334) 678-2800

Dial 911for Emergencies

Southeast Alabama
Medical Center

1108 Ross Clark Cir.
Dothan, AL

(334) 793-8111

Health South
Rehabilitation Center

1736 E. Main St.
Dothan, AL

(334) 712-6333

Flowers Hospital
4370 W. Main St.

Dothan, AL
(334) 793-5000

Dothan Surgery Center
1450 Ross Clark Cir. # 4

Dothan, AL
(334) 793-3442

7

8

Local School Districts

Houston County Dothan City

Public Schools School District
404 W. Washington St. 500 Dusy St.
Dothan, AL
Dothan, AL
(334) 792-8331 (334) 793-1397

When Registering Your Children For School, Please Remember To Bring:

• Current Immunization Record & Birth Certificate • Name & Address Of Last School Attended
• Last Report Card & Any Scores Obtained From Standardized Tests

Colleges & Universities

Wallace Community
College

1141 Wallace Dr.
Dothan, AL

(334) 983-3521

Troy University
500 University Dr.

Dothan, AL
(334) 983-6556

Fortis College
200 Vulcan Way

Dothan, AL
(334) 677-2832

Bethany Divinity
College & Seminary
2573 Hodgesville Rd.

Dothan, AL
(334) 793-3189

9

10

Houston County

Dothan Area Dothan Opera House
Botanical Gardens 126 N. St. Andrews St.
5130 Headland Ave. Dothan, AL
Dothan, AL (334) 415-3173
(334) 793-3224
George Washington Carver Museum
Westgate Softball Complex 305 N. Foster St.
201 Recreation Dr. Dothan, AL
Dothan, AL (334) 712-0933
(334) 615-3781
Wiregrass Museum
Water World of Art
401 Recreation Rd. 126 Museum Ave.
Dothan, AL Dothan, AL
(334) 615-3750 (334) 794-3871

AMC Dothan Pavillion 12 Joseph M. Farley Nuclear
4883 Montgomery Hwy. Plant Visitors Center
Dothan, AL 7388 N. State Hwy. 95
(334) 836-0814 Columbia, AL
(334) 899-5156
National Peanut Festival Association, Inc.
5622 Hwy. 231 South Holiday Spectacular
Dothan, AL 1768 Hubbard Rd.
(334) 793-4323 Newton, AL
(334) 790-5112
Highland Oaks
Golf Course Peanut Monument
904 Royal Pkwy. 3311 Ross Clark Cir.
Dothan, AL Dothan, AL
(334) 712-2820 (334) 794-6622

Landmark Park Poplar Head
430 Landmark Dr. Farmers Market
Dothan, AL 126 Museum Ave.
(334) 794-3452 Dothan, AL
(334) 797-9358
Shute Pecan Company
1475 Ross Clark Cir. Dothan, AL .....and so much more!
(334) 793-7336
11
U.S. Army Aviation Museum Foundation
6000 Novosel St.
Fort Rucker, AL

Alabama

The State of Alabama is located in the heart of the southern region of the United States, and
ranks 30th in total land area. Population-wise, Alabama is ranked 23rd with approximately 4.6
million residents.
Due to its continued dependence on agriculture, Alabama suffered economic hardship from the
Civil War to World War II.
After World War II, the sate recovered significantly as the economy changed from agriculture to
heavy manufacturing, education, mineral extraction, and high technology. At present, aerospace,
education, health care, and banking are the largest areas of investment.
Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the name of the state bird, and is also known
as “The Heart of Dixie.”The capital of Alabama is Montgomery, but its largest city is Birmingham.

State Symbols
Wild Turkey Yellow-Shafted Flicker (Yellowhammer) Largemouth Bass

Black Bear

Eastern Longleaf Pine Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Camellia

12

Houston County History

Houston County, the
youngest county in
Alabama, was formed
on February 9, 1903,
from portions of
Henry, Dale and
Geneva Counties.
The County was
named in honor of
Alabama Governor George Smith Houston. It is Alabama’s
twelfth most populated county. The county seat is Dothan,
which was known as Poplar Head prior to 1871. The county,
located in the southeastern corner of Alabama, is bordered on
the east by the state of Georgia at the Chattahoochee River, on
the south by the state of Florida and covers 578 square miles.
The little Choctawhatchee River forms the boundary in the
northwestern part of the county with Dale County. Houston
County lies on the Coastal Plain with an elevation that ranges
from 120 feet above sea level in the southeastern corner to
about 345 feet above sea level at a point near Webb in the north
central part of the county. The topography is mainly level to
gently sloping, with scattered hilly sections found in the north-
eastern part of the county.
Houston County is primarily agricultural with peanuts,
cotton and corn being the principal crops. Small grains, melons
and vegetables are also abundantly grown in the county. Beef
cattle, hogs and dairy cattle are the main livestock enterprises in
the county. Rainfall averages 53 inches

13

14

HouLsatkoenCCoouunntyty

1515

16

Dothan

17

18

RReedduuccee..

RReeuussee..

RReeccyyccllee..

19

20

21

22

HouseHow much Can You Afford?

How much you can afford is determined by a relatively simple formula. Lenders generally figure that no more
than 28 percent of your income should be for total housing costs. In addition, they require that your total monthly
debt be less than 36 percent of your income. (Note: These are general numbers. Other loan programs may allow
higher percentages.)

For example, if you make $48,000 a year, divided by 12 months, your monthly income is $4,000. (Remember,
that’s $48,000 in gross pay, before federal and state taxes are removed.) Twenty-eight percent of $4,000 is $1,120.
That is the most you can make in a monthly mortgage, taxes, and insurance payments.

Generally, to qualify, the self-employed buyer must have been self-employed in the same line of work for at least
24 months before applying for a loan. Lenders use your net income, the figure at the bottom of schedule C of your
federal income tax form, to decide how large a mortgage you can carry. But they don’t look at what you earn now
or what you made last year. Rather lenders figure the monthly average of your income over the past 24 months.
Also, overtime pay & bonuses sometimes may not be figured into your average income.

Don’t forget that points, closing costs & other out-of-the-pocket expenses probably will come out to about
one percent of the mortgage amount.

23

24

25

Packing Strategies

Supplies: t $PSSVHBUFE QBQFS SPMMT GPS GJHVSJOFT BOE GSBHJMF JUFNT
t (VNNFE UBQF UP JODIFT XJEF
BOE PS UXJOF
t 1MBTUJD CBHT BOE MBCFMT GPS FBTZ JEFOUJGJDBUJPO GPS TFBMJOH DBSUPOT
t 1MBTUJD GPBN QFBOVUT PS QFMMFUT t .BSLFST GPS JEFOUJGZJOH DPOUFOUT PG DBSUPOT
t 5JTTVF PS ,SBGU QBQFS GPS EFMJDBUF QBDLJOH KPCT t /PUFCPPL BOE QFODJMT UP MPH DBSUPOT
t 4DJTTPST BOE PS TIBSQ LOJGF

Preparing to move:

A strategy for packing:

s

27

28