Considering moving to Cincinnati (Dayton, Hamilton: renting, townhouse, heat pump)

[UnschoolerinCT]

Hello,

I am new to this board and my family is considering a move to the Cincinnati area from Connecticut. My husband would be working in Mason. We are open minded, secular homeschoolers, actually unschoolers, that currently belong to a diverse local homeschool community. We are looking for a rural smallish town with a hometown, community feel that is welcoming to outsiders that didn't grow up in the area. We have horses and would like 10+ acres and be within a 45 minute commute to Mason. Also, we love active outdoor activities so proximity to state forests, hiking trails, water, etc. is essential. Lastly, if we opened our search to include northern KY and eastern IN, would there be benefits to living in those states as far as easier homeschooling laws, taxes, lower cost of living? Any input is much appreciated. Thank you for your consideration.

[wilson1010]

Northern Kentucky (far enough south to find 10+ acres) will be a pretty unpleasant commute for your husband. Great to see someone who knows what they are looking for. Others will have good ideas, but I like Lebanon. Search some info about Lebanon and see what you think.

[cincyohguy]

The more rural communities in Warren Co. would work great for what you are looking for. The communities of Lebanon, Morrow, Waynesville, Washington Twp., Clearcreek Twp, Hamilton Twp, Five Points, Oregonia, and surrounding areas are all worth checking out. All of these areas would be within a half hour of Mason, would offer 10+ acres and offer numerous outdoor/recreational activities. These areas have some beautiful farms and estates and in some areas are pretty upscale. Your kids will love being close to Kings Island and The Beach Waterpark. The Little Miami Scenic River is great for canoeing and kayaking and there is the Little Miami Bike Trail that runs alongside it, passing through many small towns. This trail runs all the way through Warren Co. and parts of neighboring Hamilton, Clermont, and Greene Co. It is very popular. There is also the Lebanon Countryside trail, and the Great Miami River. Large lakes and nearby state parks that offer hiking, camping, fishing, and boating include Caesar Creek State Park ,Fort Ancient State Park (Warren Co.) and Cowan Lake State Park, Hueston Woods State Park, and East Fork Lake. In Greene Co, about 15 or 20 miles to the north of the Warren Co. line, there is John Bryan State Park. Bordering John Bryan State Park is Clifton Gorge Nature Preserve in Greene Co, at the headwaters of the Little Miami. It encompasses a 2-mile stretch of the Little Miami River with scenic waterfalls and narrow canyons/cliffs. The gorge is a national natural landmark. This is one of the best hiking areas nearby and the views are great. I think you would enjoy Warren Co. It has a lot to offer. There will be plenty of outdoor activities for you. I hope this helped!

[malm78]

Hello! I've been here 2 years. We're Northeast tranplants too. I also am a home school parent as well. I live in the West Chester area. Mason is 10 minutes away. But if you want rural, try Lebanon. If you want a diverse area to live in , you'll have to live closer to the city. You should also look at two options for you and your kids to meet other homeschoolers. One is HSNCINCY.com , this a homeschoolers network. Also Leaves of Learning,an ISP in Loveland. This way you can find other secular homeschoolers and unschoolers. I will be honest with you, while homeschooling in Ohio is fairly easy, meeting secular homeschoolers is NOT! Most homeschoolers we meet are Christian homeschoolers. Feel free to email me with any other questions. Good luck!

[280ezrider]

Since you mentioned all 3 states in this tri-state area, you should be aware that Duke Energy has a monopoly in all 3 states. In the 3, Ohio is the most energy expensive. I was shocked when I saw my first energy bill. Energy is so high here in Cincinnati that after 3 months of living here, I have put my newly-purchased house on the market.

[malm78]

Originally Posted by 280ezrider

Since you mentioned all 3 states in this tri-state area, you should be aware that Duke Energy has a monopoly in all 3 states. In the 3, Ohio is the most energy expensive. I was shocked when I saw my first energy bill. Energy is so high here in Cincinnati that after 3 months of living here, I have put my newly-purchased house on the market.

I have to agree with you the electric/gas is really high here. I think it's higher than Con-Ed back east. We're renting while we're here. We have a small 3 bedroom townhouse and keep the house at 68 in the winter. Our last bill was close to $400.

[lydunn]

your right it cost alot to heat your home here...even my electric bill was $253 and my place is not that big....I have live in Liberty Township I liked it..What about Trenton or Lebanon are from what I hear pretty nice places.

[Kelfly1]

Originally Posted by 280ezrider

Since you mentioned all 3 states in this tri-state area, you should be aware that Duke Energy has a monopoly in all 3 states. In the 3, Ohio is the most energy expensive. I was shocked when I saw my first energy bill. Energy is so high here in Cincinnati that after 3 months of living here, I have put my newly-purchased house on the market.

Duke Energy doesn't serve all of the northern areas of Warren County. We are outside of Waynesville on several acres and have Dayton Power and Light (DP&L). Also, if you are looking for an acreage, we've found that you most likely won't have natural gas. We moved here about 6 months ago and searched for acreage property and discovered that heat for most of the homes on acreages was a combination of heat pump (electric) and propane back up for when it drops below 20 degrees. We searched from KY to IN to OH. Our highest DP&L bill this winter was $225, and that is heating a 5000 sf house, but you also need to factor in the cost of propane, which runs the heat when it drops below 20 degrees, and it also runs the hot water and gas fireplace. It is a new home and cost $1000 to fill the large underground tank the first time, but then gets filled/topped off every few weeks ongoing to we don't have such a large bill again!
We figure it will last us about 9-10 months, but there are only 2 of us.

We really love it out here near Waynesville. We were in temporary housing in Mason for 3 months before finding our home. Mason is nice too, but very suburban and a lot of traffic. You should be able to get there from this area in about 25-30 minutes. The Waynesville area (Lebanon, Springboro, Centerville also nearby) has quick access to Caesar Creek state park which is awesome for hiking, boating, fishing, etc. The bike trail mentioned is close by, and we also did a hike last weekend at Sugarcreek metro park in Bellbrook which was only 15 minutes away. Several different trails to choose from - very nice. This particular metro park district has numerous nature type programs, and even ones specifically for homeschoolers.

Good luck in your search!