To Rent Or Buy? (Cleveland, Euclid: rental homes, houses, safe area)

[UK Wildcat]

My wife and I (plus two boys 3 years and 10 weeks) are moving to Cleveland from Lexington Kentucky June 2008 for three years. Wife will be working at Cleveland clinic. Besides the usual safe area etc. we wanted to be fairly close to CC. From our research it seems that Shaker Heights fits the bill. Is this area OK for kids or is it too urban (meaning cramped)? Is shaker a place that we can walk around outside and not be concerned about safety. It appears to that to get to CC from the west side is a longer drive and must be driven on the highway, so we only considered east side areas. Not driving on the highway will be a big plus. The move date is getting closer, I just want to make sure that my family ends up in a good area. I am open to other suggestions.

We probably will be in Cleveland for three years. Should we buy or rent? At this point I am leaning toward renting due to the fact that we would be taking on less risk in regards to upkeep, resale, prop taxes, ect.

Also we are looking forward to our move to your city. I have only been to cleveland twice in my life, but from my research it looks like a fun place to live. Where else can you have professional sports, theater district, museums, orchestra, art, culture, and big lake, and actually afford it?

[chartbury]

Hi there, Shaker Heights is a great area to live in and raise kids and with a great police force. I'd say it was one of the safer places you could choose; no place is totally immune from crime. Shaker has gorgeous architecture with many housing options, great schools, parks, sidewalks, great city services and is a short drive (or train ride) to all Cleveland amenities. As for renting or buying, it may make sense to rent as you are on a three year contract but you may want to stay here longer if that's an option! It's a great time to buy right now, prices and choices have never been so good, and who knows -- you could make some money on your investment if the market picks up in a few years time!

Whatever you choose, good luck!

[UK Wildcat]

Thanks,
I feel like Shaker will be a good choice of an area to live in

[YaFace]

If you are only there for three years I would rent. Find a place that is going to pay or gas bill, or else you will be subject to $400+ gas bills in the winter months.

[Vintheland]

I say rent. This way if you are unhappy with the area of town, you can move after 1 year rather than being stuck for 3. You should be able to find a rental home in Shaker, and if youre lucky you can find something in a area that mostly owner occupied. As far as it being cramped, its a older city so there are plenty of side streets w/ single family homes and decent sized lots.

[BelieveInCleve]

I would say that you should rent since your only going to be here for 3 years. Shaker Heights would be a nice place and hasnt gone too much downhill like some other suburbs. Other good places would be South Euclid, Cleveland Heights, Mayfield Heights, and Beechwood.

[complexsimplicity]

I will jump on the bandwagon in regards to renting in Shaker Heights. There are some nice homes in the community and it is very family oriented.

[nlschr0]

Ha - we just made the opposite move (Cleveland to Lexington)!

I think that you will really enjoy Cleveland - lots of things to do, nice down-to-earth midwestern vibe.

I also would go with renting over buying for your limited time. Ditto on the gas bill prices.

Shaker has some beautiful, historic tree-lined streets full of large houses, a great library, and a beautiful lake and nature park. Similar perhaps to a grander version of Chevy Chase, but rougher around the edges. Unfortunately, as you get closer to Cleveland proper and the Shaker Square area, you will find that some areas have gone downhill and are struggling more. I would avoid that area as much as possible. Some of the housing prices in Shaker have struggled more than surrounding areas, so I would be more concerned about purchasing/investing in a home than renting one there.

Also, Mayfield Heights certainly lacks the charm of Shaker (mostly big-box retail mixed with uninspired Midwestern residential streets - think Nicholasville Road-ish), but it is a nearby location that is a safe area with good schools and usually a steady number of rental homes available. The schools are well-rated if that will be a future consideration.

South Euclid/Lyndhurst isn't quite as nice, and the schools aren't rated as well, but it does offer some decent neighborhoods that also have rental homes. There are also some nice streets in University Heights that are filled with CC people, but again you are talking about a lesser school system and some bordering rougher areas.