maybe? moving to Grand Forks

[sbwmn]

Originally Posted by krotzmc

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents...

Start by saying 'welcome' to Grand Forks. It is different termperature and culturewise than a lot of other regions of the country, but it is a good clean place to live and raise kids. You won't find a better quality of people anywhere. We moved here 19 years ago after retiring from the military, so have both lived in other places to have a comparison and have lived here long enough to have a good feel of the place.

I am a realtor with one of the largest firms here in Grand Forks, and would just like to comment on some of the real estate comments.

Yes, I believe the base realignment could potentially affect the market somewhat.

Yes, we have seen some price adjustments in the market in the past year -- as have most areas of the country -- and finally we have a decent selection to pick from. Our market is still very strong -- 2008 finished out the 3rd best year ever for home sales in this area -- so contrary to what the media would like for us to think, we aren't a dying market. There are some very good prices out there, and frankly I kind of wish I was in 'buyer's mode' now.

If you decide to buy when you get here, your safest bet, I think, is to buy in the GF/EGF area rather than one of the small towns surrounding the base. In my opinion, I believe those markets will possibly take a bigger hit from BRAC than the metro area. For resale it seems like the highest demand would be in the south end, altho Congressional (on the west side just south of DeMers) is a nice neighborhood with good mid-range pricing. EGF also has some really nice housing, and offers a pretty nice incentive package if you purchase a new home. Real estate taxes tend to be lower over there, while state income taxes are higher. However, I know from our years in the military, often military members retain residence in their home of record, so the state tax issue wouldn't necessarily affect you.

Good luck on your move and welcome to the area.

You've already been supplied with some really good real estate info.

Thank you for your input on the real estate market. i did look at house in GF/EGF. They look very nice with big yards. here, many homes built in the past 10 years have small yards. the house and yard sizes don't match.

i would like to rent at least the first year to get a feel for the city. also, i want to see how much snow shovelling is involved, before i buy a house! Thanks again!

[DaninEGF]

Originally Posted by sbwmn

Dan,

thank you! i thought about power outages after listening to news about the recent ice storm in several parts of the country. Do you have public television stations, if so,what kind of programs do they show? we have three, here. They show nice Masterpiece Theatres and British comedies, many children's programs, travel, and news. [color=black][font=Verdana]Is it cable TV or satellite, mostly? thanks

We have the same TV format and programs as you would Prairie Public TV is the PBS station for the northern Plains and it has all the shows you would have there with some regional ones. The cable TV provider is Mid Continent Communications....go to any TV listing search and type in 58201 and cable Mid Continent to see the TV channels. We have basic and of course the expanded digital and pay stations for which you pay more. Our cable also carries CBC TV from Winnipeg as well as the regular ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW.

Mix of cable and satellite here in town.. just like out east too.

I think this was what you were asking.

Dan

[DaninEGF]

Originally Posted by sbwmn

Thank you for your input on the real estate market. i did look at house in GF/EGF. They look very nice with big yards. here, many homes built in the past 10 years have small yards. the house and yard sizes don't match.

i would like to rent at least the first year to get a feel for the city. also, i want to see how much snow shovelling is involved, before i buy a house! Thanks again!

you can always pay a service to do snow removal. Most pre-paid plans are around 100.00 or so for the winter. At least that is what a friend was quoted...

Rental housing ( single family housing) is hard to come by as it is pretty rare. Apartment and townhouse rentals are avbl.

Dan

[sbwmn]

Originally Posted by DaninEGF

We have the same TV format and programs as you would Prairie Public TV is the PBS station for the northern Plains and it has all the shows you would have there with some regional ones. The cable TV provider is Mid Continent Communications....go to any TV listing search and type in 58201 and cable Mid Continent to see the TV channels. We have basic and of course the expanded digital and pay stations for which you pay more. Our cable also carries CBC TV from Winnipeg as well as the regular ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW.

Mix of cable and satellite here in town.. just like out east too.

I think this was what you were asking.

Dan

thank you! your are informative and helpful. yes, you gave me the information i was looking for about TV programs. snow removal looks very affordable, considering the amount of snow you get (~40"?). may be should rent a townhouse. i appreciate your help

sandy

[krotzmc]

We moved to the area 19 years ago and I'd offer this info: The first winter you'll think you're going to die from the cold, but as the years pass it gets better. As far as driving conditions, we moved up here from Omaha and frankly overall I think it's much easier driving here in the winter than there. Once it gets cold here it pretty much stays cold. So, altho you have snow issues which can get a little slick at the intersections, you don't very often get that freezing/thawing/freezing thing going on that somewhat warmer regions have -- so we very seldom have ice to worry about. When we have blizzard conditions, you won't want to get out that day unless you absolutely have no choice, but from my experience, almost always the roads are pretty much cleared by the next day. Hope this helps.

[sbwmn]

Originally Posted by krotzmc

We moved to the area 19 years ago and I'd offer this info: The first winter you'll think you're going to die from the cold, but as the years pass it gets better. As far as driving conditions, we moved up here from Omaha and frankly overall I think it's much easier driving here in the winter than there. Once it gets cold here it pretty much stays cold. So, altho you have snow issues which can get a little slick at the intersections, you don't very often get that freezing/thawing/freezing thing going on that somewhat warmer regions have -- so we very seldom have ice to worry about. When we have blizzard conditions, you won't want to get out that day unless you absolutely have no choice, but from my experience, almost always the roads are pretty much cleared by the next day. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much. very helpful. it is nice to know that it is not icy often. i think this winter has not been particularly colder than usual. i really appreciate several of you responding. i know that people who live in Grand Forks are nice. Your responses confirms it. thanks again. -sandy

[ndgirl82]

DaninEGF summed it up very nicely. Just let me say that you get used to the cold and its not a big deal. 20 below is not that different from 20 above. If you dress appropriately, you'll be fine. GF doesn't really get that much snow (usually) so the roads are usually not that bad. Drive assuming that the roads are icy, and you'll be safe.

[AFmamma]

Well we got our assignment and we are indeed moving to Grand Forks .
My son must be kept busy so I have been researching and Grand Forks has tons of stuff for kids to do. I am very excited about that. I guess we will make the big move on October 3.
As for on base or off base housing I think we will just check it out when we get there.

[DaninEGF]

Originally Posted by AFmamma

Well we got our assignment and we are indeed moving to Grand Forks .
My son must be kept busy so I have been researching and Grand Forks has tons of stuff for kids to do. I am very excited about that. I guess we will make the big move on October 3.
As for on base or off base housing I think we will just check it out when we get there.

Welcome to greater Grand Forks....hope you enjoy it....

Dan