Is Rochester right for us (Duluth, Crookston: for sale, rentals, condominiums)

[rachel77]

Hi,
We are moving to Rochester in the summer. My family is from Lodi, CA about 45 miles south of Sacramento. I have severe athsma and allergies and my 9 year old son also started getting athsma and allergies about 2 years ago. I am hoping good air quality will enable us to live a better life. It is extreemly hot here temps in the 100's are the norm throughout the summer although it is a very dry heat. We do not see any snow our lows are usually in the 30's during the winter and it doesn't rain here often. We are looking for colder winters where a white Christmas would be a dream come true. We enjoy spending time in Tahoe during the winter we love the cold and snow but have never lived in it so we don't know what it will really be like but we are open to something new and know it will take time to adept to a different climate and way of life.

After doing considerable research on the US we ruled out Idaho, South Dakota, New Mexico and Montana and found we liked Rochester the best. My mother-in-law is from Fisher, MN between Crookston, MN and Grand Forks, ND and we have heard horror stories about Minnesota. We have been told there are misquitos the size of dragon flies, snow storms that strand you at work for 4 days and the sun going down at 3 in the afternoon. Are these statements true?

I am also wondering about work. There seems to be alot of work in the medical field but I am a bookkeeper for a large construction company. I commute to Sacramento(an hour each way with no traffic) I would like to work in the town I live in. I am making a good wage with full benefits and retirement. I am willing to take a paycut as long as health benefits are offered. My husband is a chef he owned his own restaraunt for 3 years but recently closed it partly due to the economy and also his mother having heart problems he went to work to manage the family business he is also making a decent salary but it doesn't go far here. Is there work for people like us where pay is good and benefits are offered?

We are not sure if we should rent first and buy a year or so after moving or buy before we move there. We have 2 dogs and I am bringing 1 cat, most places here won't rent to pet owners will that be in issue? We have not seen many for rent homes but there is alot of for sale homes. Are most rentals Rent by Owner or through a Property Management Comapny?

Thank you in advance for any info you can provide.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by rachel77

Hi,
we have heard horror stories about Minnesota. We have been told there are misquitos the size of dragon flies, snow storms that strand you at work for 4 days and the sun going down at 3 in the afternoon. Are these statements true?

Biggest Mosquito I have ever seen is more like a wasp or hornet. Whoever told you they get as big as a dragon fly mistook a hummingbird for a mosquito.

[fromupthere]

First I'll say I have asthma and allergies, and this past summer was awful. But on the other hand, every summer here has been different. The previous 2 I never had to use my inhaler. I am not sure where to find any info, but you might want to look at allergy info for this area.

That being said, I'd totally recommend Rochester otherwise. I'm not sure how the pay is as far as benefits and rates but there are definitely more jobs than just the health field. Mayo employs over 30,000 people in Rochester but there are also over 100,000 people here. So we don't all work there. There are a lot of restaurants and hotels with restaurants - upscale and otherwise - so I would think there are chef positions available. There are several construction companies here that I can think of - whether or not they are hiring I do not know. There are definitely jobs here. Rochester is the fastest growing city in the state and I believe it shows. I did not grow up here but lived here for a couple years several years ago. When we moved back, it was amazing how much the city had changed. Since we have moved back - nearly 3 years now - a 2nd Super Target, a 2nd Pet Smart, a new Fleet Farm, a Lowe's, a 2nd Best Buy, a Dick's Sporting Goods, and several more smaller stores have all been built and opened in the southern part of town.

There are several smaller towns which are an easy commute from here - 30 minutes or less (and of course more).

As far as renting versus buying first, I personally would say rent first. That way you get a feel for the town, what area you would want to live in (although people may try to point you to the NW part of town, it's not all rosy like it used to be), or if you would rather live in a smaller town. There are properties here that accept pets. I'd say to find some of those, check out rent.com. They often will say what the pet policy is as far as dogs or cats or both and how many, if there are restrictions on breed or weight. I would highly recommend staying away from Hunter's Ridge Condominiums. They do accept pets but it is not a safe place to live.

Timberland Partners I believe at least one of their properties accepts pets. Also The Gates of Rochester. I believe they both may offer leases that are less than a year as well if you wanted to go that route. That's a start but still check out rent.com to at least see what else allows pets.

Rochester doesn't get as cold or as much snow as the northern part of the state, but you can easily take a weekend trip up to Duluth or the North Shore and enjoy the winter up there. Odds of a white Christmas here are extremely high - although it's always possible not to have one too I suppose. The whole state is beautiful and it's a great place to live.

Good luck!! Just ask (or DM me) if you have any more questions.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by rachel77

Hi,


After doing considerable research on the US we ruled out Idaho, South Dakota, New Mexico and Montana and found we liked Rochester the best. My mother-in-law is from Fisher, MN between Crookston, MN and Grand Forks, ND and we have heard horror stories about Minnesota. We have been told there are misquitos the size of dragon flies, snow storms that strand you at work for 4 days and the sun going down at 3 in the afternoon. Are these statements true?



Thank you in advance for any info you can provide.

No, none of this is true. I have NEVER been stranded anywhere longer then a day--a day being overnight but able to get out the next morning even. The sun does NOT set at 3:00 ever. In Dec it does go down around 4:30 but then on the flip side it is light until 10:00 in June. Keep in mind that the land between Crookston and Grand Forks is flat with no trees and a LOT of wind, not typical for the rest of the state.

[reidcr]

I live in Denver but I grew up in Rochester so lived there for 16.5 years. No, the sun does not go down at 3 PM, you are thinking of Alaska, especially Fairbanks (I have a friend who's from there, he confirms this), but it will go down around 4:30 PM in the winter and 10 PM in the summer. No, you will not get stranded anywhere, especially not in Rochester. The weather in Rochester is actually very mild compared to the rest of Minnesota, and this is because Rochester is right on the edge of the jet stream that makes most of the weather in Minnesota. However, you'll need to get used to the humidity because I can tell you personally that going from a dry climate to a humid climate is like walking into a sauna. Yes, you can count on having lots of snow in the winter, and seeing as you're from California, you had better learn to drive in the snow if you don't already know because you will find that nothing stops until there's at least 6-8 inches of snow and even then you may still get looked at funny if you ask if anything is closed. However if there's ice in considerable quantities, then you can definitely count on things grinding to a halt even if there's no snow on the ground. Yes, school can be canceled without any snow on the ground if it's cold or icy enough (usually when the temp is below zero). I guarantee you that the weather will go for weeks without the temperature going above freezing, so make damn sure that you're ready for this. There are some construction companies in Rochester but I don't know much about that so can't help you there. However you should both be able to find jobs since Rochester is growing so fast. Also keep in mind that Rochester is not a college town so many businesses may be looking for help during the day. As for mosquitoes, they are nowhere near the size of dragonflies. Just make sure you stock up on bug spray, citronella candles and Tiki torches and you'll be fine. However, I did see a mosquito the size of a robin one time when I was camping in the Rockies...