Relocating to Idaho (Idaho Falls, Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston: real estate, for sale, mcmansion)

[Kelli Henderson]

I am moving to Idaho and am considering the Teton Valley area. Based on what I am reading Victor or Driggs seems like a nice area and Tetonia as well. Any information would be appreciated. Good and bad...

One thing I do need to say is that we want to rent first (2 or 3 bedroom for about $800.00 per month with a woodburning fireplace) before buying and I will have a 4th grader so any info about schools would be good.

I'm excited but a little afraid. I have lived in Florida all of my life.

[haw99005]

I grew up pretty close to Driggs, so I might be able to offer some help.
That area has a lot of pros and cons in my opinion.
Pros: Very pretty and very close to plenty of outdoor 'meccas.' Great hiking in the summer and snowboarding/skiing in the winter. (Grand Targhee is the only reason I ever survived winter in the area.)
Cons: It is VERY rural out there. Idaho Falls and Jackson aren't too far but there is a lot of space (good or bad depending on you). It gets very cold in the winter, but having the ski resorts around helps with that.
There's also an interesting mix of people out there, lots of the standard southeastern id mormons, lots of pseudo-red-neck farmers, and lots of Jackson spillover rugged-yupy-ish people, but racially its very homogenous.
I don't know much about the schools, just that the high school is small.
Hope that helps, haven't been there for about 4 yrs, so my views might be dated, I've heard the area is growing very quickly. Good luck.
Oh, you HAVE to get a huckleberry shake at the corner drug in Driggs.

[Kelli Henderson]

Thanks Haw99005. I was beginning to think no one would respond. If you would be so kind, maybe we could kick a few more ideas around about the state itself. Have you lived in Idaho along time?

[DESERTRYDER]

My family and I were in driggs and Tetonia last summer.

All I saw were very expencive homes everywhere we looked.
I mean the Mcmansion type 4000 + sq ft log homes.
We could barely find a camp ground because they were all full of contractors building these fancy homes.

[Kelli Henderson]

Thanks Desertryder! I appreciate your input. I'm learning alot about the state just by reading the other forums.

I definitely need to be in a bigger city to find a place to rent that is affordable. I just don't want a congested city. I'd like a slow, laid back place with small town charm.

I want to get up everyday and look at majestic mountains and I'd like to experience all 4 seasons. We want snow!!

A good school is important too!

Maybe someone else would kindly offer their opinion. I am reading that Moscow and Lewiston are nice...but do you see mountains? Coeur d'Alene sounds like an option, but I don't know, maybe too much city for me...

Feedback from others would be nice. Thanks.

[goldpolkadots]

From what other people have told me about Idaho, Lewiston is stinky (it has a paper factory), and Coeur d'Alene is expensive but b-e-a-utiful

[wurd4wurd]

Originally Posted by Kelli Henderson

Coeur d'Alene sounds like an option, but I don't know, maybe too much city for me...

Feedback from others would be nice. Thanks.

We live in an area outside the Coeur d'Alene "city limits". While our address is still Coeur d'Alene, we live in what is commonly called the "county" portion of CdA. We have a great location - turn right out of our driveway and it's an 8 mile ride to downtown CdA; turn left instead and it's about 6 miles to the heart of Post Falls.

We are native Vermonters, but moved here by way of Southern New Hampshire a little over three years ago. Keeping in mind that the largest "city" in Vermont is Burlington with a population of approximately 40,000 (CdA is about 35,000) I would have to say that Coeur d'Alene has a much smaller feel. It is easy to zip around town, although late afternoon (aka rush hour) is busier and presents a little bit of a challenge, but when compared to Burlington, it's easy peasy!

We are on 5 acres (about 4 acres consists of towering fir trees) and have outstanding territorial views. Sunrises and sunsets are incredible as is the harvest moon. From our deck or while in our living room or master bedroom it almost looks like you could reach out and touch the moon! We have deer and turkey in our yard regularly and there is a momma bear and three cubs that have been sited (not by me) as well. There is an active elk herd and moose in the area too. I took a few pics of a moose standing about 15 feet from my daughter's bedroom window about one and a half years ago! At night you can hear the coyotes calling to one another - very cool.

Until we moved to the Inland Pacific Northwest (CdA in particular) we used to believe that Vermont was the most beautiful state - barring none. Believe me, we no longer feel that way. This area is gorgeous - year round recreational activities are limitless. Summers can't be beat - the lake is spectacular! I could go on and on, but I will stop so that others can provide additional feedback.

[Kelli Henderson]

Thank you goldpolkadots! I appreciate the heads up on the paper mill in Lewiston. True, they are stinky. I went to Florida State University for college and we always had to travel through a small town called Perry to get to Tallahassee where the college is. Perry had a paper mill. Very bad smell...


wurd4wurd I am so appreciative of your comments! If where you are living now is more beautiful then where you came from then I know it must be a slice of heaven. But I do have a question...do you see majestic mountains from where you are? And what about snow? Also, when you say expensive will you give me the heads up on renting in the area?

Does anyone care to comment on Moscow or a location near the Sawtooth Mountains?
Thanks!

[goldpolkadots]

No prob.

And here's a website someone recommended to me for Idaho's Real Estate:
Homes.com - Real Estate and Homes For Sale.

[rigbymomof3]

In my opinion Victor or Driggs would be one of the best places in the US to live. I have traveled a lot and just love it there. I live in Rigby (about 1 hour away). I don't know a lot about it, but I know it's pretty!