Is this a bad time to move to Cedar Rapids? (Iowa City: low income, real estate market)

[Newbie1234]

Hi all, I am considering a move to Cedar Rapids for a job opportunity in the NE section.

Obviously I would try to find housing in a non-flooded neighborhood but since I'll be working and living in the general area, would it be very difficult to settle in given that lot of businesses and services have been affected? I think the city's still functioning, right? My friend said it would almost be like moving to New Orleans after Katrina but it isn't as bad as that, is it?

Is anyone else still considering moving to Cedar Rapids? Or are a lot of people thinking of moving away?

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Roy G. Biv]

The low-lying downtown area and the housing along particularly the west side of the river has been in hardcore clean-up mode. The local government is currently based in Westdale Mall (which was a dying mall anyway). Most jobs, retail, restaurants, etc were not flooded either because most are not in the downtown area.

Otherwise aside from those hard-hit areas and the many people who are busy volunteering and cleaning, things are pretty normal in 90% of the city and NE side was hardly affected at all except the area right along the river.

I'm sure there are some people who had their house destroyed who will move away but most of those people still have their jobs and the industries along the river are staying.

Of course you may want to consider that there will probably be municipal rebuilding costs and [presumably] improved flood control measures up stream which will likely cause an increase in property taxes. But the cost of living here is already relatively cheap (but I guess thats relative to where you are now).

[Northern Traveler]

The floods effected the majority of homes along the Cedar - a lot of older neighborhoods in the central part of the city and downtown.. If you are looking for homes in NE Cedar Rapids you will be fine - the majority of the city is still in function. (This is nothing like Katrina, lol) Obviously things are sort of a work in progress so the whole mood in the area is quite a bit different than normal. Things will get back to normal though, hopefully sooner than later.

[SharpHawkeye]

The Katrina comparison is silly.

Cedar Rapids' police and fire departments are back to running at full or near full capacity. Crime has not increased. The hospitals are back in their buildings and treating patients again. None of the main roads were severely damaged or destroyed and all have reopened. Public utilities are running in 99% of the city (I think steam is still out downtown) and public transportation is coming back online. (*DISCLAIMER: This isn't first hand experience, just what watching the morning Cedar Rapids newscast tells me, since I live in Iowa City.)

It's not at all like New Orleans post Katrina. Get a place in Hiawatha,Marion or north CR and you'll be just fine.

[neanerbean]

Get a place in Hiawatha,Marion or north CR and you'll be just fine.

Or Swisher, or Iowa City, or North Liberty, or Robins, Or.....

[SharpHawkeye]

Originally Posted by neanerbean

Get a place in Hiawatha,Marion or north CR and you'll be just fine.

Or Swisher, or Iowa City, or North Liberty, or Robins, Or.....

Good choices, all. I was just thinking of the two closest to the NE side, where the OP's job opportunity was (I bet it's Rockwell Collins ).

[Newbie1234]

Hey thanks for all the friendly advice. That makes me feel better. Sorry to make that unfitting comparision to Katrina, we don't get much first hand info other than sensationalized news reports. But I'm glad to hear that Cedar Rapids is getting back on its feet and I'm sure it'll be in full swing real soon.

If I do go I'll stick close to the NE -- Marion and Hiawatha sound good enough. With the price of gas these days I wouldn't want to drive too far each day.

Have a great weekend everybody!

[Northern Traveler]

Originally Posted by Newbie1234

Hey thanks for all the friendly advice. That makes me feel better. Sorry to make that unfitting comparision to Katrina, we don't get much first hand info other than sensationalized news reports. But I'm glad to hear that Cedar Rapids is getting back on its feet and I'm sure it'll be in full swing real soon.

If I do go I'll stick close to the NE -- Marion and Hiawatha sound good enough. With the price of gas these days I wouldn't want to drive too far each day.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Hey don't feel bad about the comparison to New Orleans. I don't find it hard to believe that an out of stater thinks its that bad considering news reports - like you said. (Especially if you watch CNN )

[TVJon]

I'm not so sure the Katrina analogy is all wrong, when you consider that it will take years for the city to recover and damage across Iowa is being counted in the billions of dollars. The kind of damage and the scale are certainly different (we didn't have people dying in evacuation centers, we didn't have lots of dramatic rescues and FEMA seems to be more on the ball) - but that's of little consolation to the hundreds of people whose homes are being demolished by order of the city, or to the downtown business owners now deciding whether to rebuild or give up.

Given the number of people displaced by the flood, my hunch is that demand has driven up rent prices and the local real estate market is at least a little stronger in the lower to moderately priced home categories. Speaking from experience, I can tell the OP the northeast side is a great place to live.

[jinxer]

I was a victim of the flood and live on the NW side. I'm not going anywhere! I am confident CR will rebound and be even better. I was in the 500 year flood plain so insurance was not required. There were people 15 blocks away from me that were affected by the flood and some in the NE side had total basement flooding. It is a mess here right now. Many people are selling their homes but not moving away just relocating. Rebuilding takes time and patience. Many people affected were low income people who had lived in their homes for many years. Many people who had rental homes are taking a big hit as well.