Relocation from France (for sale, real estate, house)

[johnnnybandfreak]

My husband, 3 cats and I are relocating to the US in jan 2007.
We have been living in France (Europe) since 2003.
We came to France to take care of my dying grand-mother.
Before that we were living in Shenandoah, Va.
We are looking at a number of places to go back to and we would appreciate any feedback.
My Husband is American and has 15 years working experience in the field of printing. I guess is work area is production/manufacturing.
I am French/American. I have a B.S degree in Family Studies.
I have always been a jack of all trades. I have worked as a bookkeeper, debt collector, financial counselor, tax preparer, personal assistant, sales clerck, housecleaner, babysitter......
I am looking for a place that would have a diversified economy, job growth, tolerance towards different race, nationality and religion.
Also low cost housing: we will be looking for a house under 200K.
This are the place we are looking into:
Minneapolis/st Paul, MN
Billings/Bozeman, MT
Cheyenne/Laramie, WY
Fort Collins, CO
Neenah/menasha, WI
Madison/Green Bay, WI
Burlington, VT
Keene, NH
Syracuse/Utica/Rome/Albany/Glen Falls, NY
Sioux Falls, SD
Pittsburg, PA

Any feedbacks would be appreciate...
If you can think of any towns that would fit my reqirements tell me about it.
Thank you in advance
Johnnybandfreak

[Jammie]

There is one of the cities that you listed that I can tell you a bit about and that's Sioux Falls, SD. You should be able to get a VERY nice house there for $200,000. In fact, you could still find a home there much less then that. Sioux Falls is an up and coming city. When we used to go there in the 60s the population was under 70,000 people. It took off the last few years and the population has nearly doubled. May I make a suggestion to you? You can check out the Sioux Falls area by reading the Argus Leader online. It has a classified section listing homes for sale and employment opportunities. It is a very nice city. I did want to warn you about the hot summers and cold winters here, but all of your cities are listed up here so you mustn't mind the cold. Good luck to you and your family. (By the way, I also have three cats and a husband. LOL)

[winnie]

I noticed you had Syracuse listed and I am a big fan of that city as far as cost of living, job market, quality of life goes.

You can find a very nice home for under 200K.
Job salaries are competitive, there are a TON of companies in the area, including quite a few major hospitals, government agencies, colleges etc.
It is an easy area to navigate, you can live within 1/2 hour of the city in a rural area and easily get into the city to work.
NY is awesome as far as accepting people from other countries. Afterall - most immigrants came through our state. We have a lot of Dutch, German, English, Italian, Native American, Irish, Asian I can go on and on...

It is a beautiful area. I think you would be wise to check it out. You can fly right into Hancock Int Airport. Good Luck!

[johnnnybandfreak]

Thank you all...
johnnybandfreak

[photomnt]

The Laramie/Cheyenne area is a great place for you to move. The area is really booming and in need of more nationalities. Plus you're close to abundant outdoor activities. Housing is also inexpensive.

[johnnnybandfreak]

Thank.
I had checked out Laramie.
There is a good mix there.
johnnybandfreak

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Wow, your list grew!

So any firm preferences coming from this list? If I infer correctly from your list, may also want to look at Boise, ID.

Keep us posted on where you go, it's been fun following your plans.

Magpies

[johnnnybandfreak]

Originally Posted by MagpiesMagpiesMagpies

Wow, your list grew!

So any firm preferences coming from this list? If I infer correctly from your list, may also want to look at Boise, ID.

Keep us posted on where you go, it's been fun following your plans.

Magpies

Thanks Magpies

I had looked awhile ago at Boise.
But it just left me blank.
How cold does Winsconsin gets?

johnnybandfreak

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Originally Posted by johnnnybandfreak

Thanks Magpies

I had looked awhile ago at Boise.
But it just left me blank.
How cold does Winsconsin gets?

johnnybandfreak

Boise left you blank? Hmmm. For a mid-sized city it has one of the best job markets in the country and still has reasonable prices of real estate.

WI is quite cold. Average temps are below freezing all winter. If you're close to the lake it's not as bad, but not by much.

Magpies

[johnnnybandfreak]

Boise's real estate is not that cheap.
But 20 minutes out is still good.
The potatoes State...

johnnybandfreak