Possible Job in Reno, Where to Live?? (Sparks, Spanish Springs: transfer, neighborhoods)

[Aquaboy]

Originally Posted by mamacatnv

No thanks Aquaboy, after 20 years we just recently left due to lack of employment opportunities for DH who is a software engineer and myself an accountant. My company relocated to Central Texas and we decided to take the opportunity and move on.

Call centers and warehousing are low wages. Employers are taking advantage of the high unemployment and offering much lower wages than has been the norm. Sure for someone entering the market it's not that big a deal but for someone with a mortgage that is now severly underwater and a price tag that was supported by higher wages the jobs available are not a relief.

I personally do not believe the Reno market (housing) has bottomed out, I feel the worse is still yet to come. 2013 should prove to be interesting if the state laws making foreclosures difficult are allowed to expire at the end of 2012 as they are currently slated to do.

Good deal! Altho I read Texas is the king of minimum-wage job growth in the US.
As a friend of mine said, there are lots of jobs in Texas, I have three of them!

[tiredofraininwa]

I'd have to agree with the above statment. It reminds me of here a lot. TX is a great place to buy a house, but beware the their property taxes are extremely high and their houses didn't appreciate much, when everyone else's were, so they're really not going to now! When my hubby and I were looking at living there, we knew that what ever house we bought, we would have to want to live in it for at least 10 years.

[mamacatnv]

Originally Posted by tiredofraininwa

I'd have to agree with the above statment. It reminds me of here a lot. TX is a great place to buy a house, but beware the their property taxes are extremely high and their houses didn't appreciate much, when everyone else's were, so they're really not going to now! When my hubby and I were looking at living there, we knew that what ever house we bought, we would have to want to live in it for at least 10 years.

After seeing what we have seen in N. Nevada regarding housing over the past 5 years, I will never again buy a house with any agenda other than a roof over my head and a possible tax break. I will never view a house as an investment or a way to grow a nest egg.

[TXred]

As others have mentioned, Sparks is a perfectly nice area. Stick to the East side near Vista or Wingfield Springs (North Sparks) is very nice and family oriented.

[Aquaboy]

I didnt get the job. Boo-hoo.
Thanks for all the great tips tho. That hot desert wind sure was blowing today!
I got to see some classic hot rods from Hot August Nights too. Ciao, AB.

[monaimee]

Originally Posted by bigdave01

If you're looking for a mountain community look at Galena Forest up mount rose highway. It is a beautiful area in the mountains, but still close to everything in Reno.

I'm also from Sacramento, and here are my best comparisons of Reno neighborhoods to Sacramento neighborhoods:


Old SW Reno is similar to Land Park/Curtis Park.
Galena/South Reno area is similar to El Dorado Hills
Spanish Springs similar to Lincoln
Sparks is similar to Roseville
Northwest is similar to Folsom
SW similar to Carmichael/Fair Oaks

Obviously there are differences, but it helps give an idea of what each area is like. But if you like the mountains I would definitely recommend going up Mt Rose hwy, or possibly Truckee but that commute wouldn't be fun in the winter.

We are learning this area and are from Sacramento, too. This person has nailed it with these comparisons.

[cedew]

I don't have much experience with those comparisons, but the one that I do have experience with (Sparks/Roseville) is pretty far off, imo.

[monaimee]

We don't know about Sparks because we have not been there -- mostly we are referring to the south and northwest where we are spending our time house hunting. Very good comparisons there.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by mamacatnv

No thanks Aquaboy, after 20 years we just recently left due to lack of employment opportunities for DH who is a software engineer and myself an accountant. My company relocated to Central Texas and we decided to take the opportunity and move on.

Call centers and warehousing are low wages. Employers are taking advantage of the high unemployment and offering much lower wages than has been the norm. Sure for someone entering the market it's not that big a deal but for someone with a mortgage that is now severly underwater and a price tag that was supported by higher wages the jobs available are not a relief.

I personally do not believe the Reno market (housing) has bottomed out, I feel the worse is still yet to come. 2013 should prove to be interesting if the state laws making foreclosures difficult are allowed to expire at the end of 2012 as they are currently slated to do.

I agree...my son worked at Amazon in Fernley for a few years, it was hard exhausting work he wore a pedometer and walked between 11 and 18 miles a shift. Pay was around $15 an hour. He decided it was not a job he could retire from so he went back to college (UNR) and got a degree in accounting, with honors. He spent a year after he graduated looking for a job and ended up doing volunteer work just to get experience. He finally landed a job for a small firm that was really crappy and didn't pay any more than he was making at Amazon. He loved Reno, didn't want to leave but finally started putting in applications in Northern California, he got offers from 3 large bay area counties; chose one and got hired with a starting wage of 50k and great benefits. Reno is a tough job market, unless you want to work in a store or warehouse it's pretty dismal

[krystsyde]

I should have moved to Reno during the summer from Vegas, but choose to move to Northern VA and after beinf here for 6 months I almost regret it. while the schools are top notch, low crime, and beautiful scenery, the cost to live here is ridiculous. While we are not struggling on a combined almost $100,000 income, Vegas paychecks were larger with the same gross. Having 4 boys. Sac-town was another choice with so much fam in the whole bay area, but Reno is def much cheaper. Reading this forum again I can agree with most people's suggestions. Assuming most people are older caucasions may look at a a neighborhood with more non-white people as a bad area, which in some respects I agree. My researched found that the Northwest and deep south seemed to be the best areas especailly when it came to schools. (OVERALL NEVADA SCHOOLS SUCK, ESPECIALLY CLARK COUNTY) I'd rather have my kids goto UNR than UNLV anyday. Next summer I just may take a vacay and take the Amtrak to Reno and reall check it out this time... We love camping and fishing, and love the snow. Plus I am a big 49er fan, and that is the closest I could get without living in CA. Would anyone agree that raising kids here is better than Vegas?