Exploring Reno, possible move from Boise, need info

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by utsci

I don't think good jobs are easy to get here either. We've been here 30+ years and have plenty of connections. Daughter moved back after grad school and is struggling to find something with a livable wage in sciences (biology BS, MS) that is not nursing. If you are a professional, engineer, or nurse you can find a job any day here. Getting a job with the city, county, or state is usually a livable income with benefits including a pension program. We have a ton of call centers here that don't pay a livable wage and I see people drifting from one call center to another, renting with roommates, can't afford a reliable car, struggling with debt. I see few ads for Tesla directly but more for Panasonic. I know a few people who have interviewed and said the pay was nothing to write home about (I don't know of any local that has accepted a job there) and it would be a long commute from Reno. The canyon between Reno and TRI is narrow in parts, windy, and commonly has weather related issues in the winter. Fernley could be a good location but there are not a lot of housing choices there. Some is old and rundown, and the rest is newer and not of great quality. I think they are running around $900-1100 for 1 bed, $1300 and up for larger...in Fernley! They have the basic big box stores but other than casinos and small town events (craft fairs, 4th of July, etc) most people are spending their free time in Reno. Fernley to Reno is 30-45 minutes depending on which side of town you are going/coming from.

That is sound advice and should be stickied in these forums. Unless you have specific skills that are in demand it is not easy to get a job in Northern Nevada that pays a living wage. My son graduated from UNR with a degree in accounting. He had two years experience in accounting and bookkeeping before he went to UNR, so he thought getting a job would be easy once he got his degree & he loved Reno, but after staying for two years and not being able to find a job as an accountant that paid more than $29,000 a year he gave up and moved to California and within a few weeks got a job that started at over $50,000. A number of larger companies in Northern Nevada have outsourced their accounting work or they use temps. Personally I think it's foolish to move to Reno without having a job offer first. As you said there are a lot of people struggling to pay rent working in call centers or warehouses.

[kttam186290]

There ARE good jobs in Boise, Idaho.....IF....you belong to the right church!

That's all I have to say...

[Fwdvision]

utsci,

Thank you for the informative and honest post. I'm likely coming to check the area out next month, but your post definitely gives me some things to think about, and take pause, serious pause, - as a lot of the things you mentioned are things I wish to avoid such as rental costs that wouldn't allow me to have my own place, or having to live in Reno and commute way out and all the gas, wear and tear on vehicle, etc.

At least I'll get a chance to spend some time with friends, see a new area, and likely get to see another, old friend from back in High School, who lives out there now.

Cheers!

[Fwdvision]

I DID move to Boise, years ago, without having a job. Well, I did have a call center job, but it was a junk job.
I had disposable funds that I don't have now, and I would not move somewhere without having a job, unless I had a place to stay (like with friends, family, etc). I also wouldn't move to a place where I was going to have a long and unpleasant commute every day - it's just a negative to my lifestyle I don't want to have.

I had no idea though, that it was that difficult there in N. Nevada. You would have thought for sure your son would have gotten a good accounting job there. Maybe the area is going through the initial stages of growing pains as economy diversifies. I'm glad he got a good job in California

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Fwdvision

I DID move to Boise, years ago, without having a job. Well, I did have a call center job, but it was a junk job.
I had disposable funds that I don't have now, and I would not move somewhere without having a job, unless I had a place to stay (like with friends, family, etc). I also wouldn't move to a place where I was going to have a long and unpleasant commute every day - it's just a negative to my lifestyle I don't want to have.

I had no idea though, that it was that difficult there in N. Nevada. You would have thought for sure your son would have gotten a good accounting job there. Maybe the area is going through the initial stages of growing pains as economy diversifies. I'm glad he got a good job in California

I don't know, Reno has been that way for a long time. If you have skills that are in demand, or you can work from home it's a decent option as a place to live, but if not you will probably end up working in a call center or warehouse, neither of which pay well. Since you like the area, have you considered looking for a job in Sacramento and spending your weekends enjoying the Sierras, it's only a 2 hour drive. With a degree you'd probably have a decent shot at getting a government job in the Sacramento area which come with decent pay and great benefits & you can apply for those jobs without moving to the area.

Another idea, if you're set on Northern Nevada, have you considered teaching? In Washoe County they implemented an alternative credentialing program for people with a Bachelor's degree in a field other than education.

WCSD hopes to recruit more teachers with "alternative" program

[champaigncitizen]

Housing is stupid here now compared to wages you can earn. Old run down apartments are going for $900 a month. We moved here 4 years ago when things were reasonable but all the Tesla hype has made things expensive and traffic has gotten bad. The homeless are taking over the parks and North of Down town. You notice a lot more trash around the highways like you see in the Bay area. Its been non stop raise taxes since we moved here and even though you don't have income tax they get it else where. Washoe county has a .30 per gallon gas tax so you pay more for gas. The last year the price has been $2.65-3.10 per gallon on average when the rest of the county has had historically low gas prices. This year has been non stop fires and the air quality sucks but make sure you go and smog your car every year (just Washoe and Clark counties). Pot is now legal and the best thing you can do to get a job is to be clean. Employers are having a hard time finding people that can pass a drug test. This is an old boy who you know kind of town to so moving here and not having connections may pose a challenge in employment. The typical pay at the Tesla factory and the many warehouses here is in the $12-15 range. Minimum wage is $7.25 and there is plenty of illegal aliens here suppressing the wages.

We really like it here since we moved here and did it for quality of life and not a job but am a bit discouraged by the way the city and area is growing with the poor leadership and planning that is needed for such growth. I fear we are becoming a mini bay area with all its issues of traffic and unaffordable housing.

[alan9]

Thanks for the helpful info about Reno. May be planning to relocate to Reno. What are the nicest areas in Reno, Sparks, or surrounding area with at least one acre + or more acreage with new homes in the $400,000 to $500,000 range but NO HOAs?
I would like to have 5 - 7 hens for organic eggs and an organic garden, a water well for the garden, house, and would like to foster 3-4 large dogs as needed while waiting to find forever homes so they don't get killed at the killing shelters (saving lives), NONE of these endeavors are allowed in HOAs.

[Nn2036]

Most if not all the new home community will be HOA.

The nicest area on acreage is the "estate" area of South Reno around Lakeside and Huffaker/ Holcomb Ranch. Most of the big lots are not under HOA but price will be higher than you want. You have to buy a lot and build your own home.

There are multiple big lots around the flat area of Toll rd. That area is not as nice but fit all your criteria.

There are a lot of option in Carson Valley too.