Moving to Reno, could use some info (Spanish Springs: loan, house)

[GaryKurz]

Thanks I_Heart - great info. Thanks for taking the time. I see you are hooked on city living. I appreciate that, but high rises are not for me. Call it earthquake conscious or 911 shock - I prefer a floor dwellings. Besides, I like the room a house gives. I am a best selling author and I have tons of books to store - can't do that in a condo. I do like what I hear about Reno though - thanks to you and all for the input.

[Shredder]

Good thread going here. It sounds as if you might like Genoa. NOT urban, NOT downtown, but it might be a good fit. We bought in the Summit Ridge area and we love it. We are 2 retired pediatric docs....(just in case you think I'm trying to sel real estate)

[2sleepy]

I think it's disingenuous to say it's not windy. I know that if you live near the downtown area, the wind is not nearly as bad as in the foothills, but it's very windy where I live, particularly early in the afternoon in late spring, early summer. I remember when we first moved in we had a teak patio table and chairs, we set it up and left for the day when we got back the whole thing had whipsawed around the deck so much that the legs had broken off the table. Patio umbrellas on a west facing deck in SW Reno will invariably end up in another neighborhood.

On a more positive note, it's a very safe area. I have never felt afraid to walk in any neighborhood and have never had anything stolen from my car or my property. The worst that ever happened was when some punk kid shot out the window of my car with a pellet gun.

I guess if you don't mind the wind, and no rain, and an economy that will probably be struggling for at least another several years, and if you don't mind shopping at walmart and the big box stores (very few other options here) then you will be fine. It's also a great place if you like to eat cheap at casinos which are pretty generous with 2/1 specials and the like.

[GaryKurz]

Thanks to everyone for the input - great stuff. Shredder, thanks for the suggestion. I actually intend to spend time in Genoa as a prospector (what a hobby for a Coast Guard Officer I know, but what can one do), but I think it is too far from Reno, where I will be conducting some business routinely.

[Shredder]

I hope you find a pot of gold!!

[I_HEART_RENO]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

and if you don't mind shopping at walmart and the big box stores (very few other options here) then you will be fine.

Very few options? I have to disagree with that. There are TONS of options from dozens of eclectic thrift/ recycled/ vintage shops to antique stores, outlets at both Summit Mall as well as Legends, small mom and pop shops, specialty stores, the Meadow Wood Mall and you've still got all the strip type shopping centers both new and old. You'd be pretty hard pressed to come up with a type of retail store Reno doesn't have....Ikea is about all I can think of. Even if you're into paying $300 for a shirt, you can always go to one of the casino shops or take a short, scenic drive to Tahoe.

[eyoband]

How long does it take to drive from Rino to Carson city? are there people who do that on a daily basis? Please waiting for a reply.

[MINTZZ]

Originally Posted by eyoband

How long does it take to drive from Rino to Carson city? are there people who do that on a daily basis? Please waiting for a reply.

depending on what part of Reno you are driving from. It's about 25 to 40 mins.

Sure there are people that do it on a daily basis since Carson is the Capital and many of those people have homes in Reno.

[NVAlum2008]

Originally Posted by eyoband

How long does it take to drive from Rino to Carson city? are there people who do that on a daily basis? Please waiting for a reply.

I commute everday from NW Reno to Carson City 5-6 days a week. I leave my house (near McQueen High School) at 6:45am and arrive almost always around 7:25-7:30am (near the Lone Mountain Cemetery). Construction on I-80 E right now is slowing up the commute both ways by 5 minutes or so depending on accidents. Weather slowed up the commute a couple of times this past year, but nothing out of the ordinary except for the Washoe Drive Fire. The southern end of the 395 freeway extention should be completed by the end of this summer which would shed around 5 minutes off of commute time (65-70mph vs 50mph and not stopping at 395/Mt. Rose Hwy intersection).

I usually see the same couple of cars every day so there are plenty of people that do it. RTC even has an Intercity Bus that hauls people between the cities 5 days a week excluding holidays for $4 one way or $3.40 one way if you buy a 10 ride pass.

[Fred2herEthel]

Caution: General Assessment based on Opinion:
Not sure if I would characterize this area as "not windy"-that would be a misrepresentation. I don't think there is anywhere in the entire Great Basin that would not be considered "windy", or at least capable of great winds. For those of you folks unfamiliar, the Great Basin is the "bowl" of land between the Rockies and the Sierras. If you are coming here thinking there won't be wind, or that it will only be windy a couple of times a year-you would be disappointed.
The problem with the wind is that it comes at you from all angles-not a steady breeze but literally North, East, South, and West. When it is blowing it is difficult to not be affected by it-think barbecuing in the wind and trying to use your house for shelter-it just doesn't work.
The areas between Reno and Carson City seem to be the most affected by it. This is a world famous area for Hang Gliding.
It tends to blow more in Winter and Spring and is a big contributor to why people say we actually only have two seasons here. The other being that we don't have much in the way of Precipitation so our fall color doesn't stick around too long. We get it, it just doesn't last. In both Fall and Spring-the leaves and/or flowers on the trees are usually blown away early by the wind. On a Spring day, when it should be warm the wind blowing through can drop the temperature a good 10 degrees and as it is fed from the West it is coming to you via the snow capped Sierra's-same theory as an air conditioner-so that it just feels cold usually from November/December to April/early May. That being said, you can have absolutely stunning days mixed in that are unseasonably warm like week long 60 degree weather in January-with no wind.
Other things to consider other than wind and cold: we have no humidity here. We have no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no real thunderstorms to speak of. Occasionally we have had flooding by the River. We have no need for screened in porches because we just don't have a lot of bugs. No fleas and ticks on your pooch.
Retired Military? Best VA Hospital in the country.
Retired Military? NAS Fallon-Top Gun flight school is housed there-you also have access to the base exchange if you use them.
Plenty of resources for the budding Prospector from supplies to assay labs, to knowledgeable staff at the University.
Great College town! Go Pack!
Literally 20 minutes from the CA line without paying CA State income tax! You get to go wherever you want to go in CA without having to deal with living there.
All in all, a really cool town. Great location on the West coast. Pretty low cost of living, especially now. Not soggy like Western Oregon and Western Washington. Not taxed to death like in California. Not as blistering hot as Arizona or Southern Nevada. Awesome airport, no traffic. Can't figure out why more people don't give it a try, but kind of glad they haven't-let's keep it our little secret.