ERIE Area Question?? (Jamestown, Penn: ski resort, insurance, hotels)

[schinz]

My wife and I are looking at a piece of rural property in the town of Mina fairly close to Peek N Peak Ski Resort in Chautauqua County. We are considering moving there full time. We have two young daughters who go to Catholic School now. It appear erie has some nice Catholic schools they could attend, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the area in terms of how safe it is to raise chldren, etc. I know they get a lot of snow and we all love snow. Also, what are the primary jobs for that region? Anyone who could take a minute and help me out would be appreciated. we are close to buying and just wanted to get some people's opinions who would really know the area. Thanks, Rick.

In a follow up question on a NY board I also posted this response...

Thanks a lot for your thoughts. Here are some honest answers to your questions in hopes you might be able to offer a little more advice or opinions. When I mentioned Erie I was referring to Erie, Pa. That is only about 25 minutes from the land we are looking at. As far as larger towns it would be Erie, Pa or Jamestown, NY...I only assumed Erie would have more jobs. When it comes to snow I did research that quite a bit. The elevation of the land we are looking at is over 1600 feet and according to the Buffalo national Weather service I could expect, on average, 204 inches per year at that elevation. We are prepared, and actually excited about that. As far as schools go I was looking at Villa Maria and Mercyhurst, both in Erie. You are correct about Maryland cost of living. Housing is through the roof in Maryland. The lot we are looking at is 6 1/2 acres, 1/2 wooded, with a nice view and 15 minutes on a snowy day from the ski resort. That lot in my part oF Maryland couldn't be touched under 200K, and that is if you got a good deal. Now for the fun part... Jobs/career. My wife and I were both in Law Enforcement. She has a master's Degree from U. of Maryland and I have a B.S from Penn State. We both majored in Criminal Justice. We were both injured in the line of duty <not the same incidents> and both retired by the department on a line of duty pension. This pension is tax free and is for the rest of our lives. It works out to $66,000 per year tax free. I am no longer disabled in any way as a result of my incident so it would not effect any career decisions. My wife currently stays home with the kids and I work in a family business. The business is going good but with the economy the way it is and so many family members in the business, it is going to become necessary for one of us to leave the business. Obviously with my pension situation I am the most logical person to leave. However, I will likely to continue to receive, as kind of a severance package, $25,000 per year salary. Given my current financial situation, if we moved to Mina i would likely move in with about a $275,000 mortgage, based on the house we want to build, and absolutely no other debt. I calculate that with the pensions, the 25K per year and a $30,000 per year job we could be very satisfied.

After all of that long winded response, do you think a $30,000 per year job is attainable for me in that area? It would certainly not have to be in my degree field. I currently work, to a large degree, in management and customer service. Thoughts?

[Ohiogirl81]

Wow, that's quite a haul on a daily basis, even on the freeway. But people do it.

Don't worry at all about safety. It's a great place to grow up. And since you obviously know how to make the most of winter, more power to you. The area you're looking in is really beautiful, and between Chatauqua and Erie there's plenty of stuff to do.

Employment in Erie can be sketchy. There's probably a better chance of finding employment in education or health care; manufacturing is hanging on by its last nails, and no one's figured out how to really make a go of tourism yet.

Good luck!

[schinz]

Thanks for the reply. I am thinking something in the area of Hotel and Restaurant management should be able to get me 30K a year wouldn't you think? I also like the area because it is not far from Penn State Erie Campus.

[scottrpriester]

Considering the Scott family owns most of the hotels/motels in the Erie area, 30K would be at the top end of your pay scale in my opinion. They are widely known as paying rock bottom.

I made around 37K as an assistant mgr at Wal Mart in the Erie area, so the 30K should be doable. And when you were asking about lines of work, tourism, healthcare, and Erie Insurance would be your best bet for making a good salary in the Erie area. Service jobs (retail) abound, but you won't make anything there.

[schinz]

Thanks..I guess with my background I was also thinking of maybe something in the ingvestigative field maybe working for an insurance company or a law firm. I appreciate knowing that 30K is at least doable in the area.

[scottrpriester]

Originally Posted by schinz

Thanks..I guess with my background I was also thinking of maybe something in the ingvestigative field maybe working for an insurance company or a law firm. I appreciate knowing that 30K is at least doable in the area.

Erie Insurance is one of Erie County's largest employers, but very hard to get in to.


By the way, the area you are moving to, Mina? My family was actually some of the first settlers of that area, from Germany. There is a small cemetary at the "Mina's Corners" area....if you ever stop and look, many old grave sites, quite a few with my last name.

[schinz]

Cool...I'll take a look around..I know right where that cemetary is. It seems like such a beautiful area..very rural.

[scottrpriester]

Originally Posted by schinz

Cool...I'll take a look around..I know right where that cemetary is. It seems like such a beautiful area..very rural.

It is, you have Peek N Peak right there, and wait till you see all the snowmobiles, and Findley Lake is very close.

[Krisps]

I think you picked a great area in Mina (Findley Lake), especially if you love snow. It is a beautiful area for sure. The 200" snow tally given to you is correct and in fact this year it is over 300" in some of the areas. It's been an incredible winter so far, if you love winter.

I drive I86 though that area to Erie. Most of the time it's not bad but there are definitely times when it is difficult, lake effect snow storms are pretty crazy and that ridge in the Findley Lake to Sherman area really gets pounded. Many people think you need 4x4 but I've found that a front wheel drive car with high quality winter tires (all 4) is plenty good.

Have you looked at buying a house instead of land? There are some great deals out there right now, though this area has never seen a boom or bust like many areas have seen recently. For 275K, you could possibly get a lakefront home on Findley Lake. But you would pay much more in taxes. Note too, if you buy in PA, property taxes will be quite a bit less. But the advantage to Findley Lake area is the proximity to I86.

Jobs are scarce of course. Erie may be bad, but Jamestown, even though it's a nice little city, is even worse with regard to jobs. A good job searching website is indeed dot com.

[schinz]

Krisps,
Thanks so much for the response. The reason we are going with a lot is that we found the "perfect" lot that is secluded, but yet a 3 minute drive to Rt. 86. It is mostly wooded with a very large clearing right where we would have picked to put a house. It is just a beautiful lot and prices are right now..even for just land. In addition, I have connections to some Amish locally and have a few Amish friends from down here that are willing to help me cheap with any house I build. For that reason i am looking into Log Cabin kits and modulars with log cabin siding where I can do a lot of the work myself and act as the general contractor in areas like electric, plumbing, etc. We did realize the property tax issue before we zoomed in on the Mina area but we really wanted the proximity to both 86 and the Peak and this lot gives us both. The lot is actually right on the Mina/Sherman line. I am not too worried about finances because I believe I can find a job doing something and with my pension situation I should be comfortable either way. My biggest concern is whether it is a good place to raise a fmaily as my daughters are 8 and 10. I know the commute to Erie for Catholic School will be tiresome but I believe it is not too far to prevent us from taking it on. Any other thoughts?