SO Cal family need help!!

[zoso1979]

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

The same can be said for anywhere in the nation in todays current economic climate. After watching the national news daily about how bad it is around the country makes a person realize things are better in Boise then a lot of other cities. Many, many people across America who were layed off are having a hard time finding jobs and jobs that pay the wages they used to make.

Yes that is true, I would however add that in our experience, Boise can be a tough job market even in good times!

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by zoso1979

Yes that is true, I would however add that in our experience, Boise can be a tough job market even in good times!

Boise is a town that you need to network in to get jobs. But the good thing is that it seems everyone is connected by only two degrees of separation in Boise.

[zoso1979]

Originally Posted by grmi66

Boise is a town that you need to network in to get jobs. But the good thing is that it seems everyone is connected by only two degrees of separation in Boise.

True and is good IF you are well networked.

[Curious.In.California]

I lived in Boise for 2 years in 2001 and 2002 - I'm going to be brutally honest here...I had a hard time there... but that's just me. I moved from Seattle to Boise then on to Denver for two years and then in 2005 moved to southern California where I'm living now. It was a difficult adjustment going from a big beautiful city like Seattle, to a smaller one like Boise. When my husband got a job in Denver, I was thrilled to leave Boise. I don't know what was but Boise was just not for me. Of all the places I've lived, I had the hardest time finding a job there. I had no problem in Denver and now that I'm in CA, I've had no problem here so I'm not sure what the issues were in Boise as to why it was so difficult for me.

For the OP...you're probably in a different place in your life than I was/is. At that time, I was a newlywed when I moved to Boise so it was just my husband and I, no kids and Boise was just too small for us - we got bored. But our priorities were different than what yours probably are. If I had kids and wanted a safe, small city to live in, Boise is decent. But if I had my pick of a city in the intermountain west area, I'd go to Colorado Springs. Its only 45 minutes away from Denver, its hilly (some areas even remind me of SoCal) and its absolutely beautiful. So unfortunately, Boise was my least favorite city I've lived in but I know of several people who DO like it there and they seem very happy and content there. JMO.

[jwest09]

Originally Posted by Curious.In.California

I had no problem in Denver and now that I'm in CA, I've had no problem here so I'm not sure what the issues were in Boise as to why it was so difficult for me.

Boise can be a "close knit community" for its size, where friends help friends get jobs. Not so much on a good résumé. If your new in town, and don't know anybody, it can be a tough place to find work.

But the OP did not ask about employment, so my advice in moving to Boise, from SO. Cal, is to bring lots of warm clothes for the family.

[TohobitPeak]

I have been to Colorado Springs a few times on extended trips and it and more so its downtown were very boring compared to Boise, but this is just my opinion. CS lacked the vibrancy Boise has from what I assume is its proximity to much larger Denver where all of the action is. Boise is just a nicer and better looking city than CS. CS has larger mountains looming overhead, but the rest of the city lacks in appeal, anyways. Their city budget sucks so badly that they have had to stop watering city parks and turn off street lamps at night. Not so here.

Boise is much different than it was 12 years ago too taking into consideration all of the growth that has taken place here.


Time for the discussion to return back to the original intent. I do know Boise has some of the best schools in the state and usually rank high when compared nationally. The weather is four great seasons with less than brutal winters. People are nice and laid back, usually respectful to each other. People here will stop their car on a major city street to let someone jaywalk and they will wave at each other as if saying "thank you...no problem".

[DevionisDream]

I've been researching the Boise and Eagle Area. I have two toddlers so the school system is a big priority for me as my home search is based on surrounding schools rather than activities. I went to GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community to get reviews based on test scores and I have to say there are a lot of 9's and 8's. In Nor-Cal where I'm from it's very hard to find schools above a 6 and there are only a handful of coveted 9's as far as elementary goes.

On another note. I've been researching a Boise cheer academy (It's kind of my thing) that I would love to put my girls in. It's not a school, it's a gymnastics thing.. a little something extra. I'm planning a mini-vacay to Boise soon. My family is going to stay for about a week to explore and see first hand. I plan on going a few times to see how I like it.. Cali to Boise is a big move.

To get a feel on the real estate market I've been searching on Zillow - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Recent Sales, Apartment Rentals It's a completely free site. I plan on going to a few open houses when I am in Boise to get an in-depth view of what my money can buy across the two cities. My main concern is the flooding I've heard of... I'm the Californian who lays on the sand in a bikini but never gets in the water... now I may need swimming lessons..lol. Good luck!!

[benchfan]

Hi, DevionisDream. One tip if you're using Zillow to look at homes is that their "Zestimates" for our area are often pretty far off base. In some markets, the local MLS sends Zillow sold price data. In our market, they don't, so the Zestimates are largely based on tax assessments. In some areas, the tax assessed values are relatively close to the market value, in other areas (particularly the best areas), tax assessments have been off by quite a bit, sometimes 20-30%. I've met buyers who start looking at homes and think a property is overpriced because of what Zillow says, only to be shocked when that same property gets four offers the first few days it's on the market.

Another great real estate website is Trulia.com. They have a lot of information and sales trends on their site, too. A local agent can also sign you up for a Listingbook.com account which will give you a user login and allow you to save favorites and reject properties you don't like so you don't keep sorting through the same things over and over. It will also alert you to new listings or properties with price changes.

I have a daughter who has had a lot of fun with the Wings Gymnastics Center "Idaho Cheer University." She hasn't done the competitive cheer teams, just some camps and such--they made a difference, though, as she just made the high school JV team. I like their facility and coaches--might be one to include on your list of things to check out.

Good luck with your exploration of the Boise area!

[Hp1167]

Just look on Intermountain MLS.