Is Iowa a good place to live during this economic crisis? (Des Moines: low crime, loans)

[iowegian]

Here's the website:
Residency Regulations*-*Office of the Registrar *-*The University of Iowa

It looks like it's 12 consecutive months of Iowa residence to get in-state tuition. You can be up to a half-time student during those months, but that would be pricey, unless you took classes at a community college and transferred credits. The website I gave is rather lengthy and for all I know, there might be a way around it if you talked to the right people and could explain that you were interested in living in Iowa for more than just attending the University.

[SleepingSun]

6 months I could have handled, but the thought of being out of school for a year upsets me. I just want to be done already. I want my family to just move with out me, but with the job situation in Vegas so bizarre right now I don't know if I'll get what I want. I can't do community college though because I already have my associate's and I am all done with my general education classes. Oh well, I'll just have to think about it.

Anyways, back to apartments. How far is Washington, Iowa? On craiglist I actually saw an apartment listed for $350 dollars. Usually in Vegas if an apartment is that low the place isn't too nice, but I'm guessing Iowa is completely different.

[pepe1]

As already stated - You need to reside in Iowa for 1 year and not take more than 6 credits per semester to become a resident. There is a threshhold (4 credits maybe?) where they you'll just pay in-state tuition regardless of whether you are a resident or not.

[pepe1]

Originally Posted by SleepingSun

Does anyone know if there are any jobs that are in demand in Iowa? I know my mother had a friend who was able to move somewhere because the job she got paid for her to move there. I'm hoping to find some jobs like that. It would make moving there much easier. I want to check out some iowa job sites. Does anyone know a good link?
Thanks for all your help by the way!

Wind energy technicians are in high demand...

[iowegian]

As pepe1 said, you can take a class or maybe two if you want with in-state tuition, I think you would take them through the Continuing Education department: Division of Continuing Education - The University of Iowa

Google Maps says it's 47 minutes from Washington to the middle of the Iowa campus. I'd say that's a decent estimate, it might take less time if you're a faster interstate driver. If you're going to drive that far, I'd suggest looking on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids (probably only about 30 minutes or so away) as well. West Branch is also a possibility if there are rentals over there, it's only 15 minutes I'd guess.

[symboliq]

Originally Posted by pepe1

Anyone else find these paragraphs odd? When top rated public education systems are discussed, one usually hears of the Wisconsin, Iowa, and New Hampshire school systems. Never once have I heard Virginia mentioned in that conversation...Sour grapes, maybe?

Yes, I found the statement on Iowa's ed system unfounded, too. In fact, I am looking at these boards in the process of relocating TO Iowa to work in the schools as a school psychologist.

Iowa's ed system is renowed across the 50 states, and Iowa is an innovator of current best practices other states are struggling to implement.

[zz4guy]

Well, considering the amount of money us residents are forced to heap onto these schools through SILO, sales, income, and property taxes, they DAMN well better be top notch.

Up and through the 80s they have been top notch. Scoring very high on standardized tests. However since 1998 scores have been slipping. Nowhere near Alabama standards by any means, but it surprises me that they are slipping even with all the money thrown at them.

[JKnoepler]

Originally Posted by natahoa

We moved to the Des Moines area of Iowa in August 2007 (a year ago) from Northern Virginia (just outside Washington DC). The economy here is very diverse and seems strong, although the economic slowdown is having an impact. I think Iowa is in much better shape than many other areas of the country.

As far as education, the public schools here are not anywhere as good as they were in NoVa, but that area has some of the best schools in the nation. The schools here are far behind the times, and each little city has its own school system. The high schools are much more focused on sports than academics, that is my major complaint. The teachers here are not nearly as professional as in my old home town. The school holds open teacher slots for people who can coach, for example, instead of hiring teachers based on their ability to teach. So, the academic atmosphere is very weak.

Having said that, the college system here is very affordable. Students can earn lots of college credit during high school that is guaranteed to transfer to the three state colleges, which are very inexpensive for residents. I don't think the quality of education is tops, but it lets everyone get a solid college education at very low cost.

The Des Moines area is very affordable in comparison to most east/west coast metro areas, but is probably one of the more expensive areas within Iowa. Des Moines is the capital city and has tremendous cultural offerings for such a small city--lots to do here. Real estate taxes here are very high as well. But, it's quiet. Rush hour is very manageable, the pace is slower than in a big city (drivers will make you crazy until you get used to it).

In the Des Moines area, the western suburbs have very little crime or problems with violence in the schools. The vast majority of people are middle class and white. You can get a wonderful 3-4 bedroom house here for less than $200K. Most of the housing here was built in the 1980s or later. In the older areas, small homes sell for less than $100K.

The city of Des Moines has greater cultural diversity in terms of economics and race, but also more crime and school behavior/violence issues. The high-end housing in the western area of Des Moines actually costs more than the western suburbs, but the city has many more nice older homes (of various sizes) that range greatly in price. You can live in a very nice neighborhood for under $250K.

Housing prices are definitely softening here, and if you buy a house here don't expect it to increase in value dramatically over the years (once the economy gets back on track), as has happened in cities such as Las Vegas. In the midwest, housing prices are much more steady. They don't go up like gangbusters, but they also haven't fallen dramatically.

Be sure to choose a home in an established neighborhood that has historically strong resale value if you plan to move within 10 years. You will find TONS of new housing here (houses popping up in cornfields), but it's a very poor investment--with so much new housing, people will buy brand new instead of a house in the same area that is a few years old. People have a terrible time selling houses a few years old, and can only unload them for less than they paid. Trees grow really slowly here (lots of cold weather), so those new neighborhoods don't "fill in" for many years.

From what I've seen in West Des Moines, the houses that are walking distance to the high school (built in the 1970s-1990s) sell the most quickly, for example. So, I recommend you choose an older neighborhood for future resale.

My kids were in high school when we moved, so it was a rough transition. Where we lived before was very culturally diverse and highly academic. The school system was county-wide with seven high schools. Here we have one high school in the town, and although this is a fairly large city, it feels like a clicky small town. The kids aren't terribly welcoming--most have lived here all their lives. Very few have any academic ambition--they plan to go to Iowa state colleges, so they can coast all the way through high school and take few difficult classes. But, once my kids got involved in sports and other activities they have made some nice friends here.

Moving from Las Vegas would be a big change, but you might find that you like Iowa very much. People here are very proud of their state, so you need to embrace that. If you plan to go to college here, it is very inexpensive. Although the state colleges are very average, they are large and have many programs within them that offer excellent specialized education.

The public schools might not be as good, but the private... in my experience is spectacular. Holy Trinity received the "blue ribbon" award which is given to only 50 private schools in the nation. Dowling, is also good... they take pride in their education. Though Valley might not be as education first, I also know that the Johnston School District is education first... I wonder what kids you've talked to... because half of the kids I know aren't in any way as you make them seem. They're headed off to Ivy League Schools, it just goes to show that what you just said is common in any area in the united states that is in any way diverse. I don't think that Des Moines is the best place in Iowa to live, I prefer Johnston, and I just moved here 6 months ago. How you talk sounds as if it's specifically off of stereotypes formed around Iowa over the years. I just bought a 4 bedroom 4 1/2 Bathroom house on a 1 1/2 acre lot for 600,000.

Maybe my experiences with Iowa haven't been the same as yours because me, and the people around myself encourage our kids to do something with their lives... and maybe me sending my children to those private schools I mentioned is making the difference... but I haven't even heard of some of the stuff you're saying. It just sounds like you don't want to be in Iowa so you're downplaying it as much as you can...

[dmguy30]

Originally Posted by SleepingSun

Thanks for the info everyone. I'm trying to find out as much as I can because my older brother doesn't really think a move will benefit us. At the same time there's no point in staying in vegas when the umemployment has reached 8%.

Iowa city was a place I was interested in. I hope it's not too expensive, because my family wants to move somewhere less expensive than Vegas so we can save money. Is there any cheaper places that are near the two universites? My major is Journalism PR/Advertising. Does anyone know if Iowa or Iowa state would be better for that major?

Hey...don't forget about Drake University in Des Moines. They offer a great PR program (within the journalism school) as well as advertising. It is a private school, but they are quite generous with financial aid. If you are over 25, you'll be quite surprised with how much it'll cost (it's only costing me $5000 a year...when tuition is $25,000)...and there is no iowa resident requirement.

[nccboy]

the job market has been pretty good, but its starting to slow down... a bunch of friends just got laid off... and its been pretty tough on them. it sucks.