Delano, Greenfield & other rural areas (Plymouth, Maple Grove: schools, places, shop)

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by sfw1979

no prob..I hope your house hunting goes well. Your at a great time to buy when houses don't sell that much in the winter so lots of bargaining room for you.
One thing to consider though, is that maybe you can always do open enrollment in the school you want your children to go to even if your not in the district.

Open enrollment is a great option but make sure you check with the district you want your kids in before you buy a house in another district. Not all districts participate in open enrollment and more commonly some districts are full and don't have open enrollment spots available at all levels--your 5th grader might get in but not your 8th grader, for example.

Also, the applications have to be completed in January for the following school year so you have pretty much missed that deadline for next fall.

[thetamommy]

Does Orono school district have open enrollment?

[golfgal]

As far as I know they do but keep in mind, just because the district has the option doesn't mean that the grades you need are available. You really need to check with the district AND they probably won't be able to give you a good idea until the fall when they have their enrollment figures completed.

[thetamommy]

Thanks Sugarbeet. It is good to hear. The home we've been watching is in Delano.
Our last trip was out your way was last May. The home is still there. We are going to look at other areas but this home keeps floating to the top of our list. Our only concern has been the school district.

[thetamommy]

Thanks Golfgal. One of the homes on our list says "Orono schools open enrollment" on the MLS. Your data gives me a much better idea of what this means.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by thetamommy

Thanks Golfgal. One of the homes on our list says "Orono schools open enrollment" on the MLS. Your data gives me a much better idea of what this means.

How close to the border is the house? It is possible that it is right on the border and they give you the automatic option of which school you want to attend. You will see that in many neighboring towns OR it could just be an extra way to try to sell the house.

A neighbor our ours from when I was growing up taught in Delano several years ago. I know he LOVED it there. They moved closer to the cities for his wife's job otherwise they probably would have stayed there.

[sven123]

My wife and I currently live in the Twin Cities but were looking for a smaller school district with a good reputation. From what we could tell, Delano is a very good school district.

We toured the school and really got a good feel about it. By the way, they consistently get high marks on school report cards (star ratings).

The town is small but is definitely growing. Trouble is, most of the newer homes available have only .3 sized lots. It sounds like you want more. A big downfall is the commute, which is ultimately why we didn't move there. It makes one wonder why drive all that way to get a small lot and hassle with traffic? A bypass on Highway 12 around Long Lake, to be completed within the year, I think, should help. But it's still about 25-30 miles to the western suburbs.

Overall, from our own research and feedback from those who lived there, Delano is a much more affordable option than Orono and a great place to raise a family.

[Camden Northsider]

There are a number of families that have gone "exurban" and commute to the cities from places like Delano, one thing that gets overlooked is that Delano is actually less miles to get to than Lakeville and areas around it, i would also guess that 12/394 (which is getting a major overhaul/ expansion currently to become interestate/ 4 lane) can, at times, be an easier commute than 35.

Places like Delano and Buffalo are known for being good places to live and have good schools. You might also want to check out Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted school district/ area, they just built a brand new high school in Howard Lake, and the area is known for having good schools/ programs and nice growing little communities - it will be more affordable than Orono and possibly Delano, and there should be plenty of acreage possibilities in the area. Commute times to downtown Mpls about 40 - 50 minutes.

[flyfishjeep]

I grew up in Buffalo which is not too far from Delano. They both offer good property options for getting a few acres. I personally like Buffalo better because it has more creature comforts available without feeling like your in a big city. My older brother did his internship at Orono while getting his teaching degree. He describes it as a rough white collar crowd. Good sports, OK academics.
You might want to consider how close to the Twin Cities you want to live. Both towns are close, and the interstate is close as well.
There are a lot of homes for sale in Wright county due to the media's coverage, so now is a great time to buy.
If your not sure on where to live, rent an apartment for one year and take your time making a decision.
That way if your not happy with the home or the area your not stuck in the home. We did that when we moved to Knoxville,TN and now we couldn't be happier.
Happy Hunting!!
Email me if you have any questions about the area.

[thetamommy]

Okay, we've finished the house hunting. Thanks to everyone for their posts. I really enjoyed reading them. We purchased a small hobby farm in Delano. We move in two weeks! We visited the school and it's seems like a nice place. The campus is quite impressive compared to what we have in California. I even found a good soy latte in downtown Delano! Any other good restaurants?