Want to make the move...but (Rockford, Geneva: job market, construction, living in)

[Traderx]

Originally Posted by Traderx

Undecided as of this moment, but I'm leaning towards giving it a go. I have the opportunity to acquire free office space to start a business, but there's still some details I need to work out before I make the commitment.

The decision has been made and we are moving to Rockford in Aug that much is known for certain.

As for the business, that's is still up in the air. The opportunity is there, but quite frankly I have so many really cool opportunities to get invovled with up there I'm not sure what I'll end up doing.

For right now the plan is to rent a house from my builder friend and continue trading as I have done for the last 8 years or so. As I get a better feel for which opportunities seem the most fun and what their true potentials are then I'll decide which way to go. I may even go in more than just one direction. Time will tell. I'm excited though. I need to get out of the house and into something again and I see so many opportunities that my creative juices are flowing for the first time in a long time.

The biggest issue is going to be my kids. They've never experienced cold before and they're spoiled beyond belief with a lifestyle I could never have imagined as a kid. We'll keep the house here in Florida since it's paid for, but my wife and I have decided that getting a place out in the country where we can have horses and a more quiet life is probably the best thing we could do for them.

Btw, the fact that there where so few fancy cars and other displays of wealth in Rockford really impacted our decision to move. I grew up poor and I think it helped me a lot later in life to get where I am. My 11yr old daughter thinks anyone with less than a Lexus must be poor and consider's any kid her age without an Iphone to be underprivledged. lol. It's pretty hard to counter that crap in a place where style is everything. The problem is most can't really afford it, of course. Anyway, the Porsche and BMW are staying behind too and we'll get some basic cars to take up there. I am so looking forward to a more simple way of life.

[thesandbox]

I have a couple of questions about Rockford as well. I currently live in Nashville but fly for a company in Rockford, Ryan Int'l Airlines. They are owned by Rubloff Development there in Rockford. I along with my wife are tired of me commuting to work every other week while I sit in a hotel on reserve if I am not on a trip. I also do some music and recording but seems that being in Nashville is not much of a factor in that right now. Living in or around Rockford would easily give me more time at home which is very important to us. We have no kids so I am not particularly concerned right now with the school districts but am concerned for my wife if I am gone 3-4 days on a trip as most of our flying is international. We currently stay at the Marriott by all the other hotels down on State St. and I have ventured into town down by the river and some of the areas by car once or twice. I was based in Scotland for two summers and my wife is from Romania so we both really like some of the older houses with a bit of european character. I am having questions about one area in particular and that is the Churchill's Grove area that includes National Ave. and the few streets near there including Harlem and Camp Ave. It "appears" to still be a fairly nice and decent area with a few good finds for housing on Harlem and Camp but by the boundaries people are listing here and there it seems like this area maybe going downhill as well. If this is the case do you have an idea specifically (more so than just the east side of the river) other areas that would be of similar style. My real only requirement is to live withing 1 hours drive from the RFD airport.

[Traderx]

Just to update. Tomorrow we make the move to Rockford.

The business is on hold for the time being. I have everything in place to move forward including several key people willing to relocate from Florida, but I've been offered two other opportunities that I want to check out more before I make any decisions.

One opportunity is to basically be groomed to take over an existing and profitable 40 year old well establish business. I don't know the industry though so I can't be certain this is something I would enjoy. The other invovles a good friend who has created what appears to be a fantastic new product. We need to do some marketing surveys though to really get a handle on what the potential might be. Looks pretty damn promising though and there might even be a away to combine the two deals into one. The best part is both of these opportunities would put me in the position of essentially providing strategic input and guidance as opposed to something more hands on so continuing to trade won't be an issue which is great because I simply enjoy it too much and make too much money from it to quit. But I need something more to do.

I also bought a Yukon for my wife so she will fit in. haha. Not sure what I'm going to get for myself but I'll figure something out in the next couple of weeks.

Looks like I'll be busy.

[ngrome]

Originally Posted by Traderx

The decision has been made and we are moving to Rockford in Aug that much is known for certain.

As for the business, that's is still up in the air. The opportunity is there, but quite frankly I have so many really cool opportunities to get invovled with up there I'm not sure what I'll end up doing.

For right now the plan is to rent a house from my builder friend and continue trading as I have done for the last 8 years or so. As I get a better feel for which opportunities seem the most fun and what their true potentials are then I'll decide which way to go. I may even go in more than just one direction. Time will tell. I'm excited though. I need to get out of the house and into something again and I see so many opportunities that my creative juices are flowing for the first time in a long time.

The biggest issue is going to be my kids. They've never experienced cold before and they're spoiled beyond belief with a lifestyle I could never have imagined as a kid. We'll keep the house here in Florida since it's paid for, but my wife and I have decided that getting a place out in the country where we can have horses and a more quiet life is probably the best thing we could do for them.

Btw, the fact that there where so few fancy cars and other displays of wealth in Rockford really impacted our decision to move. I grew up poor and I think it helped me a lot later in life to get where I am. My 11yr old daughter thinks anyone with less than a Lexus must be poor and consider's any kid her age without an Iphone to be underprivledged. lol. It's pretty hard to counter that crap in a place where style is everything. The problem is most can't really afford it, of course. Anyway, the Porsche and BMW are staying behind too and we'll get some basic cars to take up there. I am so looking forward to a more simple way of life.

Congrats on your move. Where in FL is your other place again? Our FL house is paid off too, but we'll need to sell it in a couple years to pay for the house that we started paying for in the Chicago suburbs. We looked good and hard at Rockford, as I grew up in neighboring Belvidere. No doubt Rockford has developed over the many years, but still not fast enough for some people. If you notice there have been many threads about Rockford in the Illinois boards because there's so much reasonably-priced housing out there. But these days, there was quite a bit of "affordable" homes in the Chicago suburbs as well, so my kids were happy we chose the 'burbs instead because Rockford was still a little too rural for them.

Sounds like you don't need the BMW and Porsche, why not just get rid of them and keep the cash for the "simple life"? But it also sounds you got enough liquid assets to be able to pull this off, keeping the property and cars in FL, while relocating out of state. Will someone watch the property in FL, as well as the cars?

Anyhow, good luck with your venture. I'll be heading there in about three years, while renovating the foreclosure home that we just bought in the Chicago suburbs in this market, as we have time while waiting for my youngest to graduate from high school first. I'm blessed to be able to do this as well, but I hope the market picks up in a couple years so I can sell my Orlando home for a better price for a chance to pay off the house up north sooner.

[Traderx]

Thanks ngrome.

The house is in Clearwater and we've got great neighbors to watch things for us. Plus, we'll be making frequent trips back so as to make the transition a little easier for the kids. That way they can keep their friends while they make new ones. The cars will just sit in the garage for now and we'll see how things play out before I decide to either bring them up or not. Who knows, I may sell the house at some point, but not until I know we're not coming back to live.
Yes, being liquid is good and just one reason why I hate debt of any kind.

As for simplicity, having toys isn't going to change. In fact, my little secret idea is to get a place outside of town where I can drive my toys like a madman...LOL!

Good luck to you too and congrats on finding a place.

[PilotDave]

Traderx
Excellent synopsis of Rockford. I know Rockford initmately, having lived in, or around RFD for almost 70 years. I attended West HS, graduated from Rockford College, started a high tech chemical business in RFD, and retired at age 45, having sold my business to Olin Corp. At retirement, I could have lived anywhere in the world, but I stayed close to RFD--Winnebago. Rockford is a typical Blue Collar town--always was, and always will be. Winnebago, however, is a refreshing escape from some of the things you mentioned. Winnebago has one of the best public school systems in Illinois, if not the whole midwest. It has a music department that is nationally known. Its band is extroadinary. Band concerts here regularly fill the huge gymnasium with a thousand or more people--this, in a small town of 3000... The school has an excellent academic rating--most students go on to college or take advanced job training. The town is a real breath of fresh air compared to Rockford....I hope you get a chance to investigate it if you return to our area.
PilotDave

[Traderx]

Dave,

Winnebago is high on my list; very high. I really want to get a place away from any significant population. If we get lonely we'll fly back to Florida for a week or two- that ought to cure us of that crap. LOL!

If the first week here is any indication I think things are going to go pretty well. My kids have already made a bunch of new friends and the business I've been asked to take over has gotten several $100's of contracts signed this week.

p.s. Ngrome: I've tried out a few American cars and I just can't do it. Driving one of my inlaws SUV's until I fly back to Florida in a week or two to get the BMW. Glad I kept the cars

[ngrome]

Originally Posted by Traderx

Dave,

Winnebago is high on my list; very high. I really want to get a place away from any significant population. If we get lonely we'll fly back to Florida for a week or two- that ought to cure us of that crap. LOL!

If the first week here is any indication I think things are going to go pretty well. My kids have already made a bunch of new friends and the business I've been asked to take over has gotten several $100's of contracts signed this week.

p.s. Ngrome: I've tried out a few American cars and I just can't do it. Driving one of my inlaws SUV's until I fly back to Florida in a week or two to get the BMW. Glad I kept the cars

Nice. Been back from IL for almost two months now. Really miss it, considering all the heat, rain, and humidity lately down here, and especially when fall rolls around up there and Bears football starts. You will become a Bears fan right? No Bucs, and certainly not the Packers! Time is not flying fast enough til our moving day rolls around in May-June 2012, but we'll be back up there for vacations until then.

[Traderx]

Originally Posted by ngrome

Nice. Been back from IL for almost two months now. Really miss it, considering all the heat, rain, and humidity lately down here, and especially when fall rolls around up there and Bears football starts. You will become a Bears fan right? No Bucs, and certainly not the Packers! Time is not flying fast enough til our moving day rolls around in May-June 2012, but we'll be back up there for vacations until then.

I never stopped being a Bears fan or a Cubs/Bulls fan for that matter.

[Traderx]

Well it's been a month so here's a little update.

It's sort of weird driving and not really knowing where I am but never getting lost. I guess I'm still getting used to life east of Mulford. LOL!

One of my favorite pizza joints(Dom's) is no longer. That sucks. I suppose it wasn't really very good anyhow but as a kid I ate there all the time. Loved the meatball poorboys.

I've been doing more trading than working because ever since I moved I've just been on an unbelievable run. I can see that the business I'm involved with is going to have some culture shock though because people here move a helluva a lot slower than I do. Thats not just at this business thats city wide. I've already donkey punched a few unsuspecting souls like the comcast installer who told me he couldn't run a wire where I wanted it. Not a good idea to tell me something can't be done..haha..

Got my kids in school and so far I'm pretty happy about how things are run. My daughter is going to the gifted middle school which everyone, including the staff at Keith, tells is a great school- rated 4th in the state or something. My son qualified for the gifted elementary school but we put him in private just to get a taste of which we think is better. So far no opinion there.

Went to the Boylan/Harlem football game with some friends and what a hoot that was. It's funny how dorky and uncool the high school kids seem here compared to Clearwater. Personally I view that as good thing because the kids here seem like kids.

People here are super nice. Just about everyone in our little subdivision has come over and introduced themselves. I know more of my neighbors here already than I do in Florida.

We're going to Florida this weekend for the holidays. The wife and kids are flying back and I'm driving so finally I'll have a car here.

All in all things are going pretty well so far. Rockford hasn't really changed all that much. The biggest difference isn't Rockford it's me. Having been out in the world for so long this town and it's people seem so small and hokey compared to what I thought growing up.