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Ok, so let me say this upfront. I'm no noob here. I've researched, read, commented, read some more, and I know how to use the "search" function.
Background...
I'm a long-time northeasterner (NJ/NYC area...born and bred). I have spent large chunks of time in and/or lived in NJ, AR, FL, and upstate NY. I have spent much smaller chunks of time visiting HI, WY, CO, UT, MT.
I currently live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern VA. My wife is a long-time med receptionist/records person. I have done everything from customer service, inside sales, to jockeying a forklift/warehouse work, to working on a horse farm. I actually currently work on a horse farm. I deal with the horses...cleaning, feeding, dispensing meds, assisting farrier and vet, etc. I also repair fence, paint, clean, etc, etc. I love it! Neither of us have college degrees. We have 2 kids, 10 and 4.
All of that said...
I have a serious case of mountain fever. I love the snow (my wife does not. But all she has really experienced is heavy, wet, northeastern snow). I know how to drive in it. I don't care about how green or lush the foliage is. I love camping and being outside. I like being above treeline. I love red rock, alpine, and high desert landscapes. I enjoy high altitudes and the bluest skies I've ever seen. I'm not looking for a big "career". That's not to say I'm not a dedicated, loyal, and hard worker. I'm just not a corporate climber, and I don't need to be a millionaire to be happy. I want to work doing something that I don't hate. I'm not too picky...good people and a good company are more important than a prestigious job title. I'd love to continue to work outdoors...with animals, on a farm or ranch maybe. I would most likely be coming to ID with a CDL license as well. My wife would like to continue with what she does, so a local hospital would be great.
I want to walk outside and see some mountains and be blown away every time. I want to live somewhere where the cost of living is low enough to allow life to be enjoyable. I want my kids to grow up with a love of hiking and camping and maybe even skiing and snowboarding. I want to live near other folks who feel a lot like I do. I have a sister in Golden, CO, another in NM, another in the Portland, OR area, a best friend looking at a relo back to the SLC area, and people in Jackson, WY.
I've never really looked into ID before, but it is looking more and more interesting to me as I research...specifically Pocatello or Idaho Falls. Idaho would be generally centrally located to the aforementioned friends and family (a lot closer than I am now!), and close to areas I love...Tetons, etc. I would love to be within a reasonable proximity to the Sawtooths as well. The cost of living looks pretty great, and my kids would love to be involved with something like 4-H or FFA. In fact, we would be looking to buy in an Ag-zoned area...keep some chicken, goats, maybe some pigs and donkeys too.
Anyone have any suggestions? Ideas? Opinions on where/what might be right for me? Are the areas I'm looking at "jiving" with what I want? All info welcomed! Thanks!
Well you are not going to find red rocks in Idaho. Pocatello and Idaho Falls will not make you feel in awe everytime you walk outside, no way. Being above treeline is pretty high. Not sure how you will live that high and still make it to work each day. Only place that comes to mind to me is maybe Stanley area in the Sawtooths, but that is not above treeline. You are not impressed with how green it is or the foliage but that is what you will see in the mountains for the most part.
You can be close to the mountains living in SE idaho, however let me address coming here and wanting to drive truck.
Trucking, be it OTR or local in Idaho doesn't pay the big bucks. In fact starting new on a company that runs OTR you'll most likely be looking at $35,000-$40,000 your first years, depending on experience of course. Most companies do offer perks like; paid vacation, safet bonuses and health insurance (vision is not usually part of the plan) and they cover the driver, family is at an additional cost to you. The recruiters will of course paint another picture, my husband has been driving commercial truck for over 31 years, 16 of that based out of Idaho and working for locally owned companies.
Well you are not going to find red rocks in Idaho. Pocatello and Idaho Falls will not make you feel in awe everytime you walk outside, no way. Being above treeline is pretty high. Not sure how you will live that high and still make it to work each day. Only place that comes to mind to me is maybe Stanley area in the Sawtooths, but that is not above treeline. You are not impressed with how green it is or the foliage but that is what you will see in the mountains for the most part.
I wasn't actually listing "must-haves". Just trying to tell some things that I do like. I figure in in ID, I'd be close enough to UT and WY for any red rock or "above treeline" fixes. And I don't really mind "lush", but it's what I've been around my whole life. I guess I was trying to say that I was ok with more stark landscapes. And I think being within a reasonable proximity of the Sawtooths, Tetons, Winds, Absarokas etc might be enough "wow" factor when I need it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cleosmom
You can be close to the mountains living in SE idaho, however let me address coming here and wanting to drive truck.
Trucking, be it OTR or local in Idaho doesn't pay the big bucks. In fact starting new on a company that runs OTR you'll most likely be looking at $35,000-$40,000 your first years, depending on experience of course. Most companies do offer perks like; paid vacation, safet bonuses and health insurance (vision is not usually part of the plan) and they cover the driver, family is at an additional cost to you. The recruiters will of course paint another picture, my husband has been driving commercial truck for over 31 years, 16 of that based out of Idaho and working for locally owned companies.
With the cost of living in that area of ID, I'd be fine with 35-40k a year. My wife would also be working in medical records or reception, so we'd be fine. We're pretty simple folks...don't need to make huge bucks. Just want to live somewhere where we are really happy.
Let me tell some might - be -newbies some things about north Idaho that my husband and I discovered living here. We have lived in 6 states.We have learned to be adaptable and flexible.
First, to me north Idaho is like a sub-alpine climate. It is beautiful here, even in the winter, even this past snow season. The main highway's are kept clear for the most part, still some people like to drive like a mad nutter on snow/iced roads. If the snow gets above 3-4 or more inches, many side streets are cleared as well, so that is good!
The lakes are out of this world gorgeous, serene. In late November-late January the Bald Eagles are around and they are amazing to see.
My husband is self-employed and does flooring. I am studying currently. My husband pays $300 a year in Workman's Comp even though he does not have employees, one has to pay it whether one has employees or not! He then is taxed on his tools. Yep! He has to pay that in addition to a yearly business license, paying for being licensed/bonded too through an insurance company. We knew some of this when we moved here in 2007, but some of it was a surprise.
We are on one income and we rent. Our real estate management company is not a good one. I use to work for a real estate company, assisting in rentals in Oregon. I warned my husband that he would be sorry if we rented from a real estate management company!
There is radon here which can cause lung cancer. A test is performed and people can pay $1,200.00 or higher for systems to get the radon out of ones home. So if you two are considering buying a home, these test cost about $75. Also Idaho has programs out there for couples on different incomes to qualify for housing, like FHA, USDA, etc. What my husband and I had a difficult time understanding is the the zoning laws. Land is sold in 5,10, or more acres, so it is hard for the average jane/joe to buy land. It is a rare treat to find an acre for sale!
In Cd'A -- the city is trying to charge homeowners a $50 permit fee and they are required to fix the concrete sidewalks on their properties!! My husband and I are not too impressed with Idaho's laws. Whatever....
Medical doctors: this was very strange for me. One calls around to doctors office for an appointment to see a doctor right? Not here in north Idaho! A doctor's office can reject you! You pick up a packet or speak to a nurse (of course your wife will notice this if she works for a doctors office) of meds, ills, etc. and one gets a call back if the doctor will accept you as a new patient or not. I had to contact 5-6 doctor's office before I was accepted (I have a Thyroid/Pituitary problem). I would love to remind these doctors of their hippocratic oath--and to remove the poles out of their bums!! On the flip side, if they do not have the skills/qualifications to treat my condition then I do not really want them to be my doctor.
Oh yeah, I am of Italian heritage and I have dark brown hair and brown eyes (I also wear glasses) and I get stared at a lot!! It is like, what have you not seen an American with brown hair/brown eyes? Many people here are blond/blue eyes so I guess I do look different. It still bugs me, only because of the stupid illegal alien problem we have in America.
Location: In the North Idaho woods, still surrounded by terriers
2,179 posts, read 6,993,256 times
Reputation: 1012
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Hey, J1N,
Kudos to you for looking before leaping. Every state and every areas has its own "goods" and "bads" and what is great for one may not be so much for another. I currently live in AZ and am hoping (planning) to retire to No Idaho so I have been lurking on this forum and reading everything I possibly can to make sure I am being realistic. If you've looked at real estate on-line, studied the different towns and cities websites to get a feel for taxes and other cost of living issues, then you should be fairly aware of what to expect.
As far as scenery, etc, that's another personal thing. Take a trip to Idaho and look around. I have done that twice and am fairly enamoured with Kootenai and Bonner counties, but many other folks prefer a warmer and less forested area.
Just be sure you study the area before you make a decision. I have read a lot on the AZ forum, as well, and so many people are planning to move to Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma because of what they see on TV and in AZ Highways Magazine and it is so warm and wonderful and no snow! But what they do not do is visit southern AZ in the summer, when it is 100 degrees at midnight (120+ in the daytime) and kids have to stay indoors for four months of the year due to the awful heat of summer.
Same with Idaho or the midwest or the south...each area has its good and its bad. You won't know if Idaho is for you until you research it thoroughly and get to know some of the people, (who, I have found to be extremely warm and friendly). Good luck!
Medical doctors: this was very strange for me. One calls around to doctors office for an appointment to see a doctor right? Not here in north Idaho! A doctor's office can reject you! You pick up a packet or speak to a nurse (of course your wife will notice this if she works for a doctors office) of meds, ills, etc. and one gets a call back if the doctor will accept you as a new patient or not. I had to contact 5-6 doctor's office before I was accepted (I have a Thyroid/Pituitary problem). I would love to remind these doctors of their hippocratic oath--and to remove the poles out of their bums!! On the flip side, if they do not have the skills/qualifications to treat my condition then I do not really want them to be my doctor.
I think you got this one totally wrong. This is how it was where we moved from in SoCal too. When a good doctor gets a very full calendar, rather than see service to their established patients decline and appointment wait times skyrocket, they stop taking new patients. Shoot...my dentist was that way too. So was my chiropractor for that matter...and so were my gardener. and pool guy.
Because maybe this doctor's office had to weigh the potential time needed for a new patient who may have more extensive needs should be an indicator that the care about their existing patients' health maintenance needs, not a slight to you personally, although you appear to have taken it that way. I have a couple friends in other states (doctors)...some run it this way, and some are part of larger groups that can absorb a LOT of new patients...it just depends.
My only other comment would be that I'm flabbergasted that you get "looks" for being of darker hair color and/or complexion. We have a lot of people in the CDA/Sandpoint area with darker looks...even quite a few Canadians with darker looks...I don't mean to patronize you, but is it POSSIBLE that's somewhat of a perception of "evil is where you look for it"?
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Lived in 6 states
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
