Looking for IT Jobs... (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids: housing, condo, rental)

[mike_skoges]

Hello, my wife and I are looking to move from Montana as I have been a firefighter for the last 6 years, and I just got married and need a more stable job and I went to school for a couple years for computers before I got into firefighting and it is what I am truly good at so I thought that our best option as a couple would be to move into a place where we can afford to live but has plenty of computer jobs around so I am able to find a job easily. Can anyone tell me where a good computer job would be as well as a place where the cost to live isn't TERRIBLE! Any help would be appreciated... I have looked in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids and found a few opportunities but you can only find so much online especially trying to interview over the phone it doesn't work nearly as well... Thank you!

[WoodwardGirl]

There's computer jobs and there's computer jobs! Are you talking programming or administration? Languages, packages, hardware...?

[Negotiator75]

Originally Posted by mike_skoges

Hello, my wife and I are looking to move from Montana as I have been a firefighter for the last 6 years, and I just got married and need a more stable job and I went to school for a couple years for computers before I got into firefighting and it is what I am truly good at so I thought that our best option as a couple would be to move into a place where we can afford to live but has plenty of computer jobs around so I am able to find a job easily. Can anyone tell me where a good computer job would be as well as a place where the cost to live isn't TERRIBLE! Any help would be appreciated... I have looked in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids and found a few opportunities but you can only find so much online especially trying to interview over the phone it doesn't work nearly as well... Thank you!

The best place for "computer" jobs is Seattle. If you can together, meaning as a couple, bring home at least $75,000 a year you can make it in Seattle.

As far as in Iowa, stick to Des Moines, its rapidly growing and you can find lots of recruiters that can help you. They have Robert Half and TekSystems as well as many more. You should be able to hit around $40,000 to $55,000 in Des Moines. I would recommend that you live in Urbandale or West Des Moines. Stay WEST of Des Moines to get house.

Here is a valuable tip for finding CHEAP rentals: homeXchange in Des Moines - you pay them like $50 bucks or something and they give you a list of ads every week before they hit the newspapers. You can expect to pay $600 to $1000 rent for a 2 bedroom duplex or apartment. One thing to be aware of is Section 42 housing, you cant make more than a certain amount in order to live in those places. Also stay away from landlords that want to charge an "application fee for each adult".

Stay away from all the other cities in Iowa. It would be a risk to buy a home or make plans to settle.

[WoodwardGirl]

I gotta disagree with Negotiator75 -- there are a lot of programming jobs in Cedar Rapids and have been for years -- the programmers and designers I know have no trouble working wherever they want and the benefits are great because they have to try to lure people here from places like Seattle <g>. Administration is a little trickier because there aren't that many large infrastructures and they're pretty diverse, so if you're looking for, for example, a place that emphasizes Sharepoint services, your choices are more limited.

[mike_skoges]

Thank you guys for your help... I am still looking for the job that fits me over there... I am looking mostly at Web design jobs, but also wouldn't mind a tech support job to get my foot in the door either... Any more help would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Negotiator75]

Originally Posted by WoodwardGirl

I gotta disagree with Negotiator75 -- there are a lot of programming jobs in Cedar Rapids and have been for years -- the programmers and designers I know have no trouble working wherever they want and the benefits are great because they have to try to lure people here from places like Seattle <g>. Administration is a little trickier because there aren't that many large infrastructures and they're pretty diverse, so if you're looking for, for example, a place that emphasizes Sharepoint services, your choices are more limited.

But the thing about Cedar Rapids is that there is more crime there than in Des Moines. You can get Web jobs in Des Moines alot easier because its a bigger city and alot more happens there. Also people that are from Cedar Rapids tend to be more "from the woods".

[QuadCityImages]

DSM isn't even twice the side of CR, so stop acting like its the Chicago of Iowa.

Don't limit your job search to Des Moines; most Iowa cities are worth looking into, and each have their own pros and cons.

[pepe1]

Originally Posted by Negotiator75

Stay away from all the other cities in Iowa. It would be a risk to buy a home or make plans to settle.

Please enlighten us all and expand upon this statement. Why would it be a risk to buy a home in any other city in Iowa?

[Negotiator75]

Originally Posted by pepe1

Please enlighten us all and expand upon this statement. Why would it be a risk to buy a home in any other city in Iowa?

Sorry, I should of elaborated on that . What meant by "risk" was that any other market, other than Des Moines, would be a risk because it would be slower/harder to sell that home after you owned it. It would be more on the terms of if you bought a house in Cedar Falls, or any other "Podunk" place, it implies that you would be stuck with it should you need to move for another job. Thats all I meant, nothing else. Well maybe crime too, there is alot of crime (burglaries & theft) in Cedar Falls.

Just be careful, stick with Des Moines.

[QuadCityImages]

In 2006 Cedar Falls had 381.8 Burglaries per 100,000 people.

Des Moines had 1,121 per 100,000 people.

So that idea is shot, and I won't even begin to debunk your "podunk" town reference...

Also, from what I've read Des Moines's housing market is not even the healthiest in the state.

Davenport, for example, went from a Median House/Condo Value of $80,200 in 2000 to $108,400 in 2005.
Des Moines only went from $81,100 to $106,300 during that time period.

Despite the mortgage crisis, average home sales in Davenport are continuing to rise, even though total numbers of homes sold are slightly down.

Don't listen to this guy try to act like Des Moines is vastly different from other metros in Iowa. Take a look at all of them and decide for yourself.