possible to commute from Owatonna to Minneapolis (Rochester, Eagan: real estate, low crime)

[bailey lee]

Hello all!!

I am thinking of taking an offer for a job downtown Minneapolis M-F 8 TO 5 but cant/dont want to pay 200k + for a home. Coming from Texas things are much cheaper here wow up north is expensive. How long would it take to commute from Owatonna to Minneapolis rush hour? rush hour with snow etc ? Is Owatonna a good place to raise family low crime etc ? Any other choices to live far out and commute in with low real estate prices good place to raise family ?

Thanks

[golfgal]

It would be close to 2 hours one way with normal traffic and 5+ hours in the snow, no it is not a reasonable commute. The roads near Owatonna were closed 3 times this winter preventing you from coming home or going to work at all. Depending on what you are looking for in Owatonna you still might have to pay $200,000 for a house. My BIL lives there. They have a small house, 1400 sq feet on 3 levels, nice neighborhood, $175,000. If you want anything bigger in a nice neighborhood you will be paying at least that much. Factor in the GAS alone will give you the extra money for a mortgage in the metro. Keep in mind that gas prices are expected to climb to $4/gallon this summer--they are already there in some parts of the country.

You have to be reasonable with your expectations when moving to the Minneapolis area. It is an expensive place to live, especially if you are comparing it to Texas.

You are going to have a hard time finding a home large enough for a family within reasonable commuting distance to Minneapolis for under $200,000.

[bighusker]

That would be an insane commute. I-35-W toward Minneapolis always seems awful during rush hour. You may save money on housing, but the amount you spend on gas and vehicle maintenance (from added wear and tear), as well as your mental health will probably not make it worth it.

[mndude507]

Actually many citizens of Owatonna do commute to Minneapolis and Rochester. With little to no traffic the minimal commute time would be around and hour, but rush hour changes that obviously. It can work, but it may be difficult. Housing however is another story, you wont probably save much on homes in the area compared to the metro. Most of the road closures on I-35 recently have been from the Albert Lea to Owatonna stretch.

[Isaysos]

I would not do it for the sake of keeping your sanity. Even Fairbault would be a stretch.

[Slig]

A girl I work with commutes from Owatonna to Eagan every day, so it's possible. I would NEVER want to be in that situation though.

[p_U_c_K]

explain how you can get a job in downtown and not make enough money to afford a median home in or around minneapolis? the only reason you should work downtown is if you are working for one of the large companies that have good pay, if youre taking a job at the downtown target then i understand. you'd be better off moving to big lake and waiting for the north star

[Slig]

There is plenty of affordable housing in Minneapolis. If you don't make enough money there is also plenty of low-income housing available, just go to the Hennepin County Housing Authority.

[cjschu03]

I commute from Owatonna and Nerstrand to Eden Prairie M-F 7-4 and it's about an hour drive. Carpooling works out well (matched through www.metrotransit.com)

[Mick St John]

Don't even think about it.
In addition to all the commute time wasted, figure depreciation with all the wear and tear on the vehicle. And when gasoline jumps to $4.00 a gallon again, that's an additional expense.
If you save any money on property, you will lose it in transportation costs.